Today's Passage: Genesis 43

And the plot thickens... Yesterday we read about the beginning of Joseph's plan to test his brothers.  Today we see how his brothers have changed and how emotional it was for Joseph to see his only full brother, Benjamin. 

This is probably only the 4th or 5th time that I have read this story through.  I remember thinking the first time I read it that Joseph was being a bit controlling.  Almost like he was lording over his brothers with the authority that pharaoh had given him.  The more times I read this however the more I see a wise but unsure Joseph.  I mean his brothers were the ones that faked his death and sold him.  I'm not sure I could ever trust someone who did that to me.  While I believe Joseph's primary motive in testing his brothers was to see Benjamin I also think he felt God calling him to repair the relationships with his brothers. 

This story reminds us of how important it is for us to be mindful of God's gracious spirit.  For many people they can not see past others misguided actions whether they have happened recently or years ago.  These people tend to land on a single perception of a person and deny that they can ever change.  This is what we call judgment or condemnation, which many Christians are blamed for passing on others.  Arguably the most popular verse in all of scripture is John 3:16 but the verse after it is equally as important.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

To condemn something is to say that it is unrepairable.  If we truly can not repair or change something for the better then yes we should condemn it.  If we are talking about a person or relationship however we need to take into account that a person can change in a moment.  So for instance if your sworn enemy could change their attitude (assuming that they are the one that is wrong) in a moment then we must not give up trying to repair that relationship until their last breath.  

Just as God doesn't give up on us, we must not give up on others.  There is almost always a healthy way to reestablish a relationship.  It's just dependent on our willingness to step to the edge of our comfort zone and give people another chance.