Pentecost XVII, Cycle A

“Heroes, Heroes”

September 15, 2002

The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel

Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Lessons:  Genesis 50:15-21;  Romans 14:1-12;  St. Matthew 18:21-35

There’s been a lot of talk this past week, and in fact, in the past year, about heroes.  We’ve heard about the heroes of flight 93, that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, rather than into a target in our nation’s capital.  There are the rescue personnel, the firefighters, the police, who lost their lives trying to help people escape from the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon.  There are the stories that have been told over and over, of everyday heroes who uplifted someone else, who assisted someone else, who ministered to someone else in a time of need.  And then, there are our service men and women, who, not just this year, but time after time, year after year, have put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of our nation and our freedom.  It’s meaningful, and, it’s touching, to once again feel that there are heroes who deserve our recognition, and from whom we can learn something about courage, valor, dedication, and righteousness.  And today, I’d like to add another hero to that list.  A person we probably don’t often think about as a hero.  A person, we probably don’t often think about.  And yet, he’s a hero in the true sense of the word:  a man of strength and courage;  a man who can be regarded as an ideal or model…and who might that be?  Joseph, whom we hear about in our First Reading today!

     Now, Joseph may not come to mind, immediately, when we’re talking about heroes, especially in the light of current events this past year, which seems to’ve spawned so many heroes.  But consider the life of Joseph, and the measure of the man, and who wouldn’t consider him heroic?  Not for things like, fighting a war, necessarily, or carrying someone out of a burning building—but, for something, maybe even more difficult and super-human!  Joseph was a hero, because he FORGAVE!

     Oh, you might say, what’s so heroic about forgiveness?  Well, it takes courage to forgive.  It takes fortitude to forgive.  It takes tremendous self-control and discipline to forgive.  And if you’ve ever tried to forgive someone who’s truly wronged you, you know that it takes heroic effort.  And sometimes, the effort required is simply too great, and we find we’re unable to forgive.  Think, for example, about what it took for Joseph to forgive.

     If you remember the account of Joseph in the book of Genesis, you’ll remember that Joseph was the youngest son of Jacob, who became Israel, the father of the tribes of Israel.  Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, because he was, as it says in Genesis, the “son of his old age”.  His father made him a special coat, with sleeves and everything, to keep him warm, and to protect him.  But the coat couldn’t protect him from his brothers, who were jealous of Joseph.  And when the Lord started giving Joseph prophetic dreams that foretold what would happen to Joseph and his brothers, they became even more jealous, and they came to despise their littlest brother so much, that one day, while out pasturing their father’s flocks, they decided to get rid of Joseph once and for all.  At first, it was suggested that they kill him and be done with it.  But Rueben suggested they put him in a pit, and leave him.  Which they did, until another possibility surfaced—as a caravan of foreign traders appeared on the scene, and Joseph’s brothers, his own brothers, decided to sell him into slavery.  Imagine, being only a youth, being a cherished son of your father, trusting your older brothers, only to have them grab you, throw you into a dark, dank pit, pulling you out only to sell you as a slave, to foreigners!  Joseph was taken by Ishmaelite traders, to Egypt, where he was sold again, to Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah.  Your own brothers sold you into slavery, and in God’s great scheme of things, things get turned around, until one day, who should stand before you, begging to be given food, begging to be let in to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan—but the very brothers who sold you out in the first place!  Can you imagine the temptation to make them grovel?  Can you put yourself in Joseph’s place, and feel the feelings of satisfaction, that now, you are in Pharaoh’s house, in a position of privilege, and your evil, conniving brothers are at your mercy?  There surely is not a human alive, who would not experience the temptation to seek revenge—sweet revenge on these despicable brothers.  But, what is Joseph’s response?  Not just now, after their father’s death;  not just now, after the brothers claim that their father asked Joseph to forgive—but all along—from the first time he saw them, Joseph showed mercy, Joseph offered kindness, Joseph provided food and shelter and hope for the very brothers who had betrayed him.  And finally, yes, finally, Joseph forgives.  His brothers fall down before him, full of remorse, weeping for the wrong they had done to Joseph, and Joseph, weeping, says to them, “Do not be afraid!  Am I in the place of God?  Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.  So, have no fear;  I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way, Joseph reassured them, speaking kindly to them.”

     Oh, that we could forgive, as Joseph, that great Old Testament hero forgave!  Oh, that we could forgive, as Jesus instructs, not just once, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!  Oh, that we could put aside our feelings of hurt, anger, bitterness and revenge, and show mercy and kindness!  And why is it that we find it so hard?  Why do we hold on to our grudges, and refuse to forgive, even our brothers, our sisters, our parents and children, our friends and neighbors?  Because we are all guilty of sin.  Because we are sinners, ourselves, every bit as much as those who sin against us.  And it is sin, that keeps us from forgiving.  It is sin, that causes us to think we are God over others, that we can judge others, that can stand in the place of God and forgive or not forgive, those who sin against us!  And to this, the words of Joseph, the words of St. Paul, the words of the Lord Jesus himself speak to us, speak harshly, to us, asking, “why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister?  Who made you God over another?  For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God;  we will all, finally, bend the knee to the Lord, kneeling before him, humbly, as the sinners we are.  So”, Jesus says, “So my heavenly Father will also do to everyone of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister, from the heart.” 

     Harsh words, indeed.  And yet, the message of the parable Jesus tells is clear.  Because God has forgiven us, for Jesus’ sake, we are to forgive one another.  God’s forgiveness is to beget forgiveness.  And for us to receive, and to claim God’s forgiveness, through the death of Jesus on the cross, and then NOT forgive a brother or a sister—is, well, Jesus says it’s unacceptable!  We are forgiven.  Jesus died for our sins, to take away our guilt, shame and disobedience.  We are living in a state of grace, because God has chosen to forgive us.  For us to refuse to forgive another is—well, it’s not heroic, it’s cowardly.  It’s un-Godly.  It’s un-Christian.  And Jesus says, God won’t stand for it.  That’s why we pray, every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Forgiveness is to beget forgiveness.  Because we ARE forgiven, we are to forgive others.  And to forgive, as we’ve been forgiven, is not just heroic, it’s divine.  To forgive is to submit to God’s will.  To forgive is to live in God’s grace and mercy, and to show that grace and mercy to others.  So…

     Who might be waiting for your forgiveness?  Who is there who, right now, feels a distance and maybe, a sense of uncertainty in your relationship, because you haven’t forgiven?  Is your daughter waiting?  Is your son?  Your spouse?  Is there someone at work you’ve been avoiding because you feel you can’t forgive them?  A neighbor, a sister, a cousin, a fellow church-member?  Why do you pass judgement on another?  Who put you in the place of God?  Will you not kneel before the judgement seat of God, together with the one who needs your forgiveness?  Because we have been forgiven, by the blood of Jesus on the cross—we are to forgive, not once, not seven times, but seven times seven times seven times—to no end.  Because we have been forgiven, let us, today, this week, throughout our lives, forgive!  Amen.