Loving Pardon 2

Without ado we carry on with Joseph and the loving pardon he offers his brothers.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph; does my father still live? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near me. So they came near. Then he said: I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. Genesis 45: 3 – 5.

It was Joseph who made the first move to draw his guilty brothers even closer to him. When he told them who he was, they became dismayed in his presence. They became overtaken by guilt no doubt, and would want to run and hide, or shy away from Joseph’s presence. Is this not so often true of you and me, when we behold the wrongs we have done to Jesus and He still calls us into His Presence? O how we want to fade away and die, because of our sinfulness and guilt. Joseph is most patient, wise and understanding and he does something even more loving. He calls them still closer to him. And Joseph said to his brothers, Please come near me. So they came near. Yes, they are alone in his presence, but there is still space between them. Joseph brings them all nearer to him. They do not bring themselves nearer to Joseph. He draws them nearest to him, to receive his loving pardon. 

It was Joseph who spoke about their sin against him and assured them that he held no malice or grudge against them. I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here. Will your touched and grateful hearts, see that Joseph’s desire for his sin-burdened brothers, is that they be not burdened down with sorrow and anger with themselves, for their evil wickedness to him? 

It is Joseph who gives them pardon that assures them of his forgiveness and more. Yes, he offers them peace and ease from all guilt and shame.

Is that not a shadow, a taste, of the pardon we are receiving now, in the Name of Jesus? Are we not receiving His Loving Pardon?

It is Jesus who makes the first move to draw you and me, His guilty brothers and sisters, closer to Him. Has He not announced this covenant promise to all? No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, Know the Lord, because they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8: 11 – 12 NIV. Jesus draws us closer to Him so that we can receive His Loving Pardon. It is pardon for all time. Always remember that we come to receive pardon from Jesus, because He first, has already pardoned us.

It is Jesus who speaks about our sin against Him and assures us that He holds no malice against us. Doesn’t your mind take you straight to Saul? Jesus says to the one who has been persecuting Him, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. Acts 9: 5b. Jesus, as He does to all of us, makes us aware of our sins, as we receive pardon from them all.  

Will you accept that Jesus’ desire for you and me, is that we are not burdened down with sorrow, guilt and shame for our sins? Our Lord does not want us to become so crippled by them, to the point where we cannot rise to accept His pardon. It is Jesus who, despite all that we have done against Him, still offers us His unsurpassed peace and ease.

Jesus is our Loving, Compassionate Brother. It is His unfailing, deep love and passion for us that have made it possible for us to know His Pardon. The Name of Jesus is Loving Pardon.