Above: Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt
Image in the Public Domain
Forgiveness
SEPTEMBER 14-16, 2023
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The Collect:
O Lord God, merciful judge, you are the inexhaustible fountain of forgiveness.
Replace our hearts of stone with hearts that love and adore you,
that we may delight in doing your will,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 47
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 37:12-36 (Thursday)
Genesis 41:53-42:17 (Friday)
Genesis 45:1-20 (Saturday)
Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 (All Days)
1 John 3:11-16 (Thursday)
Acts 7:9-16 (Friday)
Matthew 6:7-15 (Saturday)
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He redeems your life from the grave
and crowns your with mercy and loving-kindness;
He satisfies you with good things,
and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
–Psalm 103:4-5, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The lectionary-based romp through the Joseph Epic from Genesis begins here, in this post. It is an excellent tale–in act, the first portion of scripture I really read, back in the Summer of 1988. In today’s installments we focus on the transformation of Joseph from annoying twit and boaster to a powerful figure in the Egyptian government who forgives his would-be murderous relatives and showers kindness on his family. Unfortunately, in Genesis 47, he reduces the Egyptian population to serfdom in exchange for food (which they had grown anyway), but that is another story, one which many people miss. (I missed it the first few times I read the epic.)
The New Testament lessons speak of forgiving each other and meeting each other’s needs, even (when necessary) dying for each other. The reading from Matthew 6 makes plain the link between forgiving others and receiving divine forgiveness. The measure one applies to others, the Sermon on the Mount tells us, is the one God applies to us. That makes much sense to me.
To forgive can prove quite difficult. To want to forgive is easier, I have found, but both are possible only by grace. Through experiences I have no desire to recall in vivid details I have learned that to stop nursing a grudge is the best one can do at some moments. The rest will follow in time; forgiveness will come. One day one will realize that much or most or all of the old anger is gone. The process starts with a prayer for Got to take all the anger away.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 16. 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN DIEFENBAKER AND LESTER PEARSON, PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADA; AND TOMMY DOUGLAS, FEDERAL LEADER OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
THE FEAST OF JOHN JONES OF TALYSARN, WELSH CALVINISTIC METHODIST MINISTER AND HYMN TUNE COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF BROTHER ROGER OF TAIZE, FOUNDER OF THE TAIZE COMMUNITY
THE FEAST OF THE HOLY WOMEN OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
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ORDINARY TIME DEVOTIONS 
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