Readings for today: Genesis 41-43
Guilt is a burden. All human beings feel it. All human beings experience it. In fact, the only humans who do not are sociopaths or psychopaths. Their inability to experience guilt or shame makes them incredibly dangerous in society. I remember when I worked as a chaplain at New Jersey State Prison. A significant percentage of the inmates there were in for some form of murder or another. I actually met professionally diagnosed sociopaths. It was frightening to see their utter lack of guilt or shame over the crime they committed. It’s not that they were proud of it, they simply didn’t care and I found that even more troublesome.
It is clear from our reading today that Israel’s family is experiencing a profound sense of guilt and shame. Collectively, they are all struggling with the alleged death of Joseph. Jacob, now Israel, translates his guilt into overprotection when it comes to his youngest son - now a full grown man - and has grown resentful towards his other sons. Reuben translates his guilt into resentment towards his brothers for not listening to him when he sought to spare Joseph’s life. All of them wonder if they are being punished for how they treated Joseph all those years earlier. The dysfunction is so great that Reuben offers the lives of his two sons to his father to guarantee Benjamin’s safety and Judah eventually does the same with his own life, as if these lives are somehow less valuable than Benjamin’s in the eyes of their father. It causes one to wonder what daily life in this family must have been like with all these unhealthy, sinful dynamics in play. It’s definitely tragic on so many levels.
Sadly, I know many families who experience similar levels of dysfunction. They carry around incredibly heavy burdens of guilt over past mistakes and past failures. The guilt cripples them and their ability to connect deeply and intimately with one another. The result is resentment and bitterness and anger that builds over the years. Eventually, it spills out in divorce, estrangement, broken relationships, and shattered family systems. So where do we go to find hope? We go to the One who bore our guilt and shame on the cross. Christ has the power and the will and the desire to heal hurting families. To mend broken families. To reconcile estranged families. I know because I come from such a family myself. My dad’s alcoholism threatened the very fabric of our family system. We could easily have succumbed to bitterness and resentment. We could easily have blown apart relationally. But God was faithful. He saved me and He worked through me to help my own family heal. The more God healed me, the healthier I became. The healthier I became, the healthier my family became. The results were miraculous as God healed our relationships in so many ways and it even eventually led my father to give his life to Christ about 18 months before he passed away. My brothers are my best friends. My mom is my spiritual hero. If God can do this for us, He can do it for anyone. Trust Christ. Let Him carry your burden of guilt and shame to the cross!
Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 44-46