If anyone had a right to complain, to broadcast the injustice, it was Joseph.
And yet, when the tables turned and Joseph rose to power in Egypt (second to Pharaoh), something remarkable happened. After decades apart, Joseph came face-to-face with his brothers, the betrayers.
He embraced them.
Tight.
Remarkable.
Yet, this is the part that stands out to me…
“The news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come. Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Tell your brothers… bring your father and families back to me. I’ll give you the best land in Egypt. You can enjoy all the good things in the land.’” (Genesis 45:16–18)
(Contemplation Pause)
Pharaoh was close to Joseph. How could he then respond to these betrayers with such affection?
Because Joseph had never poisoned Pharaoh’s ears with bitterness. He had never dragged his brothers’ names through the mud, even though he had every right to. Had he, the Pharaoh would have responded much differently.
Joseph saw his brothers not through the lens of their offense but through the mercy of God, because Joseph himself experienced that same mercy. And that silence, that refusal to rehearse the wounds, opened the door for reconciliation and blessing.
Carrying Mercy Into Monday
We live in a culture that thrives on outrage. Social media rewards venting. Offices reward gossip. But followers of Jesus are invited to another way.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
How do we forgive?
We can only do so when we first embrace the depth of God’s staggering kindness and mercy toward us. Once we experience His forgiveness, we can extend it…even to those who have wounded us deeply.
N.T. Wright puts it this way: “The work of forgiveness is the work of re-creation, of new creation itself, beginning now.”
Silence in the face of betrayal isn’t weakness. It’s strength rooted in trust that God sees, God knows, and God will redeem…just like he did with you.
As for Joe in my office, I told him about his biblical namesake. About a man who chose silence and mercy over bitterness. And maybe that’s the invitation for all of us in the marketplace today.
Reflection
Who in your life do you keep “poisoning Pharaoh’s ears” about…rehearsing their offense to others instead of releasing it to God?
Where have you mistaken silence for weakness, when in reality God may be inviting you into the strength of trust and reconciliation?
