We talked about how we survived the past. Many things start out as jokes or insults. We are not all here. There are so many that should be here. There are more gone than now here of my people. We have thus in common: more than loss we are losing. We should talk about how we will survive the future
From different parts of the Bible, messages intersect in profound ways. Let’s explore one connection and its radical implications. We will look closer at Genesis 45:3-11, 15: Joseph’s Forgiveness and Reconciliation
In this passage, Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, who had previously sold him into slavery out of jealousy. Despite their betrayal, Joseph forgives them and reassures them that God’s providence was at work to save lives during the famine. He urges them not to be distressed or angry with themselves, demonstrating extraordinary grace and reconciliation.
Joseph forgives his brothers despite their grievous wrongdoing. He recognizes God’s hand in his suffering, using it for a greater purpose. Joseph restores his relationship with his brothers, offering them care and provision.
4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they approached him. And he said, “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 Now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to save life and preserve our family
Luke 6:27-38 is the other passage we will look at for connections. Jesus calls his followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, and bless those who curse them. He challenges them to practice radical mercy, forgiveness, and generosity, reflecting the character of God. Jesus emphasizes that this kind of love transcends human norms and reflects divine grace.
Don't be like people, huh
27 “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you, 28 bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever strikes you on the cheek, offer him the other one also [simply ignore insignificant insults or losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity]. Whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. Whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you
Love your enemies and do good without expecting anything in return. Be merciful as God is merciful, and do not judge or condemn others. Give freely, trusting that God will reward such selfless actions. Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers mirrors Jesus’ call to forgive and reconcile with those who wrong us.
35 ...because He Himself is kind and gracious and good to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful (responsive, compassionate, tender) just as your [heavenly] Father is merciful.
Losing family is the natural order, God sent me ahead of you to save life and preserve our family. Making family is our future. Now is the time. Pointillism, cubism abstract poor insults. Our art is in making bands. We bring those gone with us.
Pointillism, initially coined as a derogatory term by art critics in the late 19th century, was used to mock the technique of painting with small, distinct dots of color. Critics dismissed it as overly mechanical and lacking the finesse of traditional brushwork. However, artists like Georges Seurat and Paul Signac embraced the term, refining the method to create vibrant, luminous compositions through the optical blending of colors. Over time, Pointillism evolved from an insult into the official name for this innovative art movement, celebrated for its scientific approach to color theory and its unique visual impact; foreshadowing our modern electronics. Our devices with their pixels are essentially pointillist works of art that we are still trying to understand
Cubism, initially ridiculed by critics in the early 20th century as a chaotic and nonsensical style, was seen as a radical departure from traditional art. Pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, the movement fragmented objects into geometric shapes, challenging conventional perspectives. Over time, what was once an insult became the defining name for this groundbreaking art form, celebrated for its revolutionary approach to representing reality and influencing modern art.
There is a pattern here.
Just as rejected ideas in art led to new styles like Pointillism and Cubism, forgiveness reshapes broken relationships into something new. Artists take what others see as mistakes and make them into beauty. In the same way, forgiveness takes pain, betrayal, and misunderstanding and transforms them into healing and growth. Like stepping back from a Pointillist painting to see the full picture, forgiveness helps us see beyond the hurt to a greater whole. It doesn’t erase the past but gives it new meaning, turning rejection into renewal.
We must challenge the natural human tendency toward retaliation or holding grudges. The answer is Radical Love and Mercy. Joseph’s actions toward his brothers—providing for them despite their betrayal—reflect the kind of radical love Jesus teaches. The command to love enemies goes beyond Joseph’s example, extending love even to those outside one’s family or community.
7 God sent me [to Egypt] ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth, and to keep you alive by a great escape. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt
Joseph saved all of Egypt. Joseph saw God’s hand in his suffering, using it for a greater good. The teachings of Jesus suggest that acts of love and mercy align with God’s purposes, even when they are difficult or costly.
Both passages challenge the cycle of vengeance and retaliation, offering a vision of restoration and peace. Both passages call for forgiveness to be a central practice in the lives of believers, even in the face of deep hurt or betrayal. This challenges cultural norms that often prioritize justice as retribution rather than restoration.
The command to love enemies expands the scope of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers, urging believers to extend love even to those who are hostile or unrelated. This has radical implications for how we treat outsiders, adversaries, and marginalized groups. Joseph’s recognition of God’s providence in his suffering encourages believers to trust that God can bring good out of even the most painful circumstances. This perspective can transform how we respond to suffering and injustice. We know what to do. Acts of love and mercy align with God’s purposes.
We must emphasize giving without expecting anything in return, whether it’s Joseph’s provision for his brothers or Jesus’ call to lend without expecting repayment. This challenges materialism and self-centeredness, calling believers to live generously. Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers and Jesus’ call to love enemies both point to the dismantling of divisions of all kinds.
This has profound implications for addressing conflict, prejudice, and inequality in our world.
The connection between Genesis 45 and Luke 6 lies in their shared emphasis on forgiveness, reconciliation, and radical love. The radical implications include living a life of forgiveness, loving beyond boundaries, trusting God’s providence, practicing generosity, and breaking down divisions. Together, they offer a transformative vision for how we relate to others and reflect God’s character in the world.
The themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, radical love, and mercy found in Genesis and Luke have parallels in other religious traditions. Many faiths include radical imperatives that challenge natural human tendencies toward revenge, selfishness, or exclusion.:
Islam: Mercy and Reconciliation. Islam calls for responding to hostility with goodness, which aligns with Jesus’ command to love one’s enemies. This principle, known as excellence in character, urges believers to go beyond justice and act with overwhelming kindness and mercy. The Prophet forgave the people of Mecca after they persecuted him, following a principle similar to Joseph’s recognition that God's plan can bring good out of suffering.
Buddhism: Compassion and Non-Attachment to Retaliation Instead of responding to harm with retaliation, Buddhism calls for metta (loving-kindness) and karuna (compassion), which break the cycle of suffering. Unlike in Christianity, where forgiveness is often tied to divine grace, Buddhism sees forgiveness as freeing oneself from suffering caused by attachment to resentment.
Hinduism: Dharma (Righteous Duty) and Generosity
Bhagavad Gita 16:3: “Forgiveness, self-restraint, and non-violence are divine qualities.” Hinduism emphasizes non-violence and selfless giving, which echo Jesus’ call to be merciful and generous without expecting anything in return.
Judaism: Repairing the World. The Jewish concept of Repairing the world pushes for active engagement in making peace, even when wronged. Jewish scholars emphasize that Joseph's forgiveness was not just an act of kindness but a recognition of God’s hand in history, mirroring Luke’s call to love enemies as a reflection of divine mercy.
Sikhism: Seva (Selfless Service) and Forgiveness. Guru Granth Sahib 1378: “Where there is forgiveness, there is God Himself.” Sikhism teaches eternal optimism, meaning that even in suffering or persecution, Sikhs should respond with compassion, forgiveness, and selfless service rather than revenge.
Forgiveness is Strength, Not Weakness: Across these traditions, forgiveness is not passive but an act of spiritual power that breaks cycles of retaliation. In many faiths, the command to love enemies or act with compassion is seen as a way to transform oneself and others. Across traditions, radical generosity is considered a path to divine closeness, much like Jesus' call to give without expecting anything in return.
Genesis 45 and Luke 6 present a biblical expressions of forgiveness, reconciliation, and radical love, their core themes resonate across major world religions. Many traditions contain imperatives that challenge self-interest, retaliation, and exclusion, instead promoting mercy, reconciliation, and selflessness as paths to spiritual transformation.
In Methodism, the themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, radical love, and generosity align closely with Wesleyan theology, particularly John Wesley’s emphasis on grace, Christian perfection, and social holiness.
Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers and Jesus’ command to love enemies reflect the Methodist understanding of God’s prevenient grace—the grace that calls people to reconciliation before they even seek it. Wesley believed that forgiveness was not just a personal virtue but a means of participating in God’s redemptive work. Forgiveness is not optional; it is the way we reflect God’s love to the world. John Wesley wrote, “One great reason why the rich, in general, have so little sympathy for the poor is because they so seldom visit them.” This principle extends to forgiveness—if we do not engage in acts of mercy, we cannot understand the depth of God's mercy.
Jesus’ command to love enemies and give without expecting return resonates with Wesley’s view of Christian perfection—not as sinlessness, but as perfect love for God and neighbor, including enemies. Wesley preached that salvation is a journey toward perfect love, where Christians move beyond loving only those who are easy to love. Do good to all people, even those who do not deserve it. John Wesley’s sermon On Charity states, “The love of God is the root of all holiness. He who loves his neighbor for God's sake will soon be made perfect in love.” This aligns with Jesus’ command to be merciful as God is merciful.
Joseph provides for his brothers in Genesis 45, and Jesus commands giving without expecting repayment in Luke 6. Methodism strongly emphasizes acts of mercy and generosity as essential to faith. Wesley advocated for radical generosity, urging Methodists to “Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” He taught that wealth and resources were not personal possessions but gifts entrusted by God for the common good.
Give sacrificially, without expecting repayment. This reflects Jesus’ teaching: “Give, and it will be given to you”. Wesley believed in redistributing wealth through acts of charity and social justice—an idea that continues in Methodist outreach ministries today.
Joseph refuses to retaliate against his brothers, choosing peace over vengeance. Jesus commands his followers to “turn the other cheek” and “do good to those who hate you.” Methodists see these passages as calls to break cycles of harm through grace and peacemaking.
Non-retaliation is a form of active resistance. Wesley taught that turning the other cheek was not passive weakness but an active refusal to participate in the world's cycle of revenge and violence. This idea influenced Methodist involvement in abolition, nonviolence, and social reform movements.
In Genesis 45, Joseph has matured spiritually to see God’s greater purpose in his suffering. In Luke 6, Jesus calls for radical love that transcends normal human instincts. In Methodism, this is part of the doctrine of sanctification—the lifelong process of becoming more Christlike. Holiness is not just about avoiding sin—it’s about actively growing in love and grace.
Forgive radically—not just as a personal virtue but as a reflection of God’s mercy. Love enemies—as part of striving for Christian perfection. Be extravagantly generous—giving not just from surplus but as an act of faith. Resist retaliation—choosing peace and reconciliation over cycles of harm.
Pursue holiness—not just by avoiding evil but by actively practicing love, mercy, and justice. Methodists emphasize grace-based reconciliation in personal relationships, churches, and social movements.
Forgiveness is not passive—it requires action. Methodists seek to restore relationships, communities, and systems through acts of grace. Jesus calls for love that extends beyond friends to enemies. Methodists practice inclusive love through outreach, hospitality, and mission work.
Loving others—especially the marginalized—is an active command, not a suggestion. We are called to welcome the stranger, house the homeless, and care for the rejected. Joseph provides for his brothers despite their betrayal, and Jesus calls for selfless giving. Methodists emphasize economic justice, generosity, and ethical stewardship.
Methodists support living wages, debt relief, and fair labor practices. The Wesleyan ethic of wealth—"Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can"—is applied to advocacy for workers' rights and economic policies that uplift the poor. The Methodist Church has historically advocated for debt forgiveness in developing nations, believing that economic oppression is incompatible with Christian love. Generosity is a spiritual discipline. We are stewards of God’s resources, and wealth should serve the common good—not individual accumulation.
Methodists work with Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and other Christian denominations to promote peaceful coexistence and interfaith dialogue. Retaliation fuels destruction. Nonviolence, reconciliation, and justice are how we transform the world.
Joseph’s journey reflects spiritual growth, and Jesus calls his followers to be merciful as God is merciful. Methodists believe holiness is not just personal piety—it is lived out through love, mercy, and justice.
The Methodist "Three Simple Rules" (John Wesley)
Do no harm.
Do good.
Stay in love with God.
Wesley taught that personal holiness (prayer, scripture, devotion) must be matched by social holiness (justice, mercy, activism). This is why Methodists are known for combining faith with social action. Holiness is not separation from the world—it is engaging with the world to transform it in love.
Live differently, love radically, forgive freely, and give generously.
Radical love is not passive—it transforms. Like Joseph’s forgiveness and Jesus’ command to love beyond boundaries, it reshapes our world, turning loss into renewal and division into unity. This love is our calling, our challenge, and our hope. Now is the time.
38" Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over [with no space left for more]. For with the standard of measurement you use [when you do good to others], it will be measured to you in return.”
In the end, survival is not just about enduring loss—it’s about making something new from it. Just as Joseph turned betrayal into reconciliation and Jesus called us to love beyond reason, we are invited to transform suffering into grace. Like the artists who turned insults into innovation, we forge beauty from brokenness. Now is the time to build—through mercy, generosity, and radical love—a future where no one is forgotten, and everyone belongs.
Often we underestimate the power of mercy. It’s easy to believe that forgiveness makes us weak, but in truth, it requires incredible strength. The challenge is not just to let go of past wrongs but to build something new from those fractures—a kind of beauty only possible through grace. This is the radical love we’re called to embody: not just surviving the losses we’ve faced but daring to create family, healing, and hope in their wake.
Loss cuts deep, yet still—
Forgiveness builds, love reshapes,
Stronger futures bloom
Sun climbs, steady bright—
shadows shorten, paths unfold.
The “dots” of forgiveness
create a masterpiece of reconciliation.
Let Us Pray,
Loving Creator,
You call us beyond what is easy, beyond what is fair,
into a love that defies expectation.
Teach us to forgive as we have been forgiven,
to give without counting the cost,
to see Your image even in those who wound us.
Strengthen us in mercy, embolden us in grace,
that we may reflect Your boundless love in all we do.
Amen.
Benediction
Go now in the power of radical love—
a love that forgives, a love that gives,
a love that heals what the world divides.
May grace go before you,
mercy walk beside you,
and peace be your path.
Amen.
Nottingham UMC 11/23/20024
