Genesis 42:18-25: a reflection

When Joseph, now a ruler in Egypt, finally faces the brothers who had years before sold him into slavery, and hears them speaking among themselves of their guilt over what they did to him, his response is not vengeance but tears. They didn't know that Joseph understood them, the account says; and he turned himself away from them, and wept. Here is a man who had been deeply wronged by these very brothers, sold into slavery, cut off from his family for years; and yet, facing them, hearing their remorse, he weeps rather than gloats or rages. His heart toward those who had grievously wronged him is tender, moved, compassionate, not hardened by bitterness. This is a striking picture of a tender heart even toward those who have wronged us: Joseph, deeply hurt by his brothers, weeps over them rather than nursing hatred. To keep a tender, compassionate heart even toward those who have deeply wronged us, rather than a heart hardened by bitterness, is the grace Joseph shows. Joseph wept over the brothers who had wronged him; his heart stayed tender. A tender heart even toward those who have wronged us is possible, as Joseph's tears show.

Notice Joseph's response to the brothers who had wronged him: he wept, his heart tender rather than hardened. These brothers had done him a grievous wrong; they had sold him into slavery, and he had suffered years of hardship because of them. Facing them now, with power over them, he might have hardened his heart, sought revenge, gloated over their remorse. Instead he turned aside and wept. His heart toward them, despite all they had done, remained tender, moved, compassionate. This is remarkable, for deep wrongs often harden the heart against those who did them, breeding bitterness and a desire for revenge. But Joseph's heart stayed soft; he wept over the very ones who had wronged him. To keep a tender heart toward those who have deeply hurt us, rather than letting the wrong harden us into bitterness, is a rare and beautiful grace. It does not mean the wrong was not real; but it means the heart is not ruled by it, not hardened by it. Joseph shows that we can be deeply wronged and yet keep a tender, compassionate heart toward those who wronged us. A tender heart is not hardened by the wrongs done to it. Compassion can survive even deep injury.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can keep a tender, compassionate heart even toward those who have deeply wronged us, rather than letting the wrong harden us. When we are deeply wronged, we can let the wrong harden our hearts against those who did it, breeding bitterness and a desire for revenge; but Joseph, deeply wronged by his brothers, wept over them rather than hardening his heart. To keep a tender heart toward those who have hurt us, rather than being hardened by the wrong, is a beautiful grace. Do not let the wrongs done to you harden your heart into bitterness against those who did them; keep a tender heart, as Joseph wept over the brothers who had wronged him. Keep a tender, compassionate heart even toward those who have deeply wronged you, rather than letting the wrong harden you into bitterness, as Joseph, facing the brothers who had sold him into slavery and hearing their remorse, turned aside and wept rather than gloating or raging; for deep wrongs often harden the heart against those who did them, but Joseph's heart stayed tender toward the very ones who had hurt him, showing that we can be deeply wronged and yet keep a compassionate heart, not ruled or hardened by the wrong, so that a tender heart can survive even deep injury, and to keep such a heart toward those who have wronged us is a rare and beautiful grace.