Recently I was talking about forgiveness with a man for whom I have the deepest of respect. By the power of God, he forgave an abusive father and found freedom from bitterness and anger. He said something like this:
"Having bitterness and anger in my heart is like me drinking poison while hoping the other person will die of it. Foolishly, I’m really just killing myself."
Henri Nouwen says,
"As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or, worse, pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and then define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness, therefore, liberates not only the other but also ourselves. It is the way to the freedom of the children of God."
How do we find that freedom? A long long time ago, way down in Egypt, Joseph, who had been severely mistreat by his brothers and others, forgave all of them/it. He absorbed a lot of injustice, pain, and loss. He did not seek revenge or retaliation, though I think he was tempted to do so. Ultimately he does not. How? Why?
The key is found in Genesis 50:20, words that show his deep faith in a God who redeems terrible messes, a God who works in injustice, a God who has the ability to bring good out of bad, a God who loves forgiveness. Joseph says,
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Joseph recognized, by faith, the formative value of suffering through injustice and the way God can use it to accomplish great things. It liberated him. It can do the same for us.
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