35. The Inward Journey (Genesis 40-42)

The climax of Joseph's story is his forgiveness of his brothers. Although they had brutally abused and betrayed him, Joseph is willing to reconcile. Why? How did Joseph possess the largeness of soul necessary to forgive and love his family? One answer is that God had to take Joseph on what might be called "the inward journey." He had to form his character through suffering to make him into the person of greatness he became.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Genesis 37:2; 39:2; 40-42; Psalms 30:5; 105:18-21; Hebrews 2:10; 2 Corinthians 4:17; 5:17; Romans 5:3-4; Isaiah 28:23-29; Philippians 3:13-14; and John 21.