Today's reading is found in Genesis 50. How sad that Joseph lost his father! He had been separated from him for such a long time, but this time it was final. Yet, Joseph loved his father so much that he gave him an honorable burial. The funeral procession was so impressive and the mourning was so profound that the neighboring Caananites renamed the burial place Abel-Mizraim (which means, "mourning of the Egyptians").
The sad thing about this is that Joseph's brothers sent him a message saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." No wonder Joseph wept after he got the message! You see? Joseph had already forgiven his brothers for their sin against him. When he embraced and kissed them, he was displaying a genuine love for them. But now that Jacob had died, they thought Joseph would maliciously go after them! That would have been enough to be offended, grow bitter and resentful and to really treat them badly. But Joseph responded to them with kind words and reassured them he was not out to get revenge.
Today I've learned that forgiveness is very important. Yet, there are people who will not be able to accept that forgiveness because they have not been able to release their guilt. That's what happened to Joseph's brothers. But when you and I choose to genuinely forgive others their offenses, we will be able to speak kind words to them and reassure them of our love. We will only be able to do this if we have truly buried away any ill-feelings or our desires to see those who have wronged us pay for their mistakes. Why continue to carry those terrible thoughts and memories? It's time for their burial before they contaminate your heart and mind to the point where they bury you.
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