Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 50:17\u201321 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Spoi\u00adled by his father, rejec\u00adted and betray\u00aded by his ven\u00adgeful brot\u00adhers, all the inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adces in Egypt \u2013 Joseph seems pre\u00addesti\u00adned for a vic\u00adtim role. How can someone cope with such a past? The key was the ren\u00adun\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon of taking on God\u2019s role, the trust in God\u2019s good\u00adness and the desi\u00adre to live his life for God\u2019s glory.<\/p>\n
Our pri\u00adsons are full of peo\u00adp\u00adle who, on clo\u00adser inspec\u00adtion, expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced a bad child\u00adhood with sad expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces. A father who repea\u00adted\u00adly acted out or was absent, a mother who acted over\u00adwhel\u00admed or over\u00adpro\u00adtec\u00adti\u00adve, a tea\u00adcher who made them a slug, unwan\u00adted child. How can such a past be over\u00adco\u00adme? Joseph also had a few deep impacts in his biography:<\/p>\n
\tJoseph grew up as the favou\u00adred and spoilt child of his father Jacob, who loved him more than all his other children.
\n\tGod gave him two dreams that made the situa\u00adti\u00adon worse and dro\u00adve his brot\u00adhers to fury against him.
\n\tThe brot\u00adhers plan\u00adned Joseph\u2019s mur\u00adder, but then sold him as a slave to Egypt.
\n\tJoseph was inno\u00adcent\u00adly thrown into pri\u00adson, even though he had pro\u00adven hims\u00adelf to be a God-fea\u00adring man.
\n\tHe was for\u00adgot\u00adten by the cup\u00adbea\u00adrer, whom he had pre\u00addic\u00adted would be reinstated.<\/p>\n
Being spoi\u00adled by his father, rejec\u00adtion and betra\u00ady\u00adal by his ven\u00adgeful brot\u00adhers, all the inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adces in Egypt \u2013 Joseph seems pre\u00addesti\u00adned for a vic\u00adtim role. How can someone cope with such a past? Appar\u00adent\u00adly Joseph suc\u00adcee\u00added in doing so, becau\u00adse more than for\u00adty years after he was sold as a slave by his brot\u00adhers, he told his brot\u00adhers who had just asked him for forgiveness: \tA vic\u00adtim men\u00adta\u00adli\u00adty sees the guilt only in the neigh\u00adbour and the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre does not need for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness its\u00adelf. That is why such a heart remains ent\u00adan\u00adgled in its own guilt. Fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Jesus who per\u00adsist in the atti\u00adtu\u00adde of sacri\u00adfice do not need Christ, for they do not see them\u00adsel\u00adves as peo\u00adp\u00adle in need of sal\u00adva\u00adti\u00adon. Only hum\u00adble peo\u00adp\u00adle reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00adse that they need a Saviour. All human beings, no mat\u00adter how many times one has \u00abfal\u00adlen short\u00bb in one\u2019s life, is also a per\u00adpe\u00adtra\u00adtor. Joseph\u2019s beha\u00adviour as a 17 year old \u2019snob\u00bb was out of line, pri\u00addeful and nar\u00adcis\u00adsi\u00adstic. No one is just a vic\u00adtim. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne is also guil\u00adty befo\u00adre God and other peo\u00adp\u00adle and is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre also depen\u00addent on for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. Coming to terms with the past is always about both \u2013 recei\u00adving for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness and gran\u00adting forgiveness. \tWhat thoughts might have gone through Joseph\u2019s mind when his brot\u00adhers were ser\u00adved to him on a platter? Bible Text: Gene\u00adsis 50:17\u201321 | Pre\u00ada\u00adcher: Mat\u00adthi\u00adas Alt\u00adwegg | Series: Like you and me | Spoi\u00adled by his father, rejec\u00adted and betray\u00aded by his ven\u00adgeful brot\u00adhers, all the inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adces in Egypt \u2013 Joseph seems pre\u00addesti\u00adned for a vic\u00adtim role. How can someone cope with such a past? The key was ren\u00adun\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon, in God\u2019s\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[63],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-wie-du-und-ich","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-3103","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"hentry","10":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n\u00abDo not be afraid of me. Am I in God\u2019s place? As far as I am con\u00adcer\u00adned, God has tur\u00adned all the evil you have plan\u00adned to good. In this way, he wan\u00adted to save the lives of many peo\u00adp\u00adle. So do not be afraid. I mys\u00adelf will take care of you and your fami\u00adlies.\u00bb So he cal\u00admed them down and spo\u00adke kind\u00adly to them\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:19\u201321 NL<\/span>). Why was Joseph able to over\u00adco\u00adme his past despi\u00adte his bad expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces and, as a result, live a life of free\u00addom and reconciliation?
\nThe term \u00abcoming to terms with the past\u00bb was coin\u00aded after the Second World War. It was about the ques\u00adti\u00adon of how the Ger\u00adman peo\u00adp\u00adle could deal with the guilt, the bur\u00adden and the oppres\u00adsi\u00adve fee\u00adlings of the past, the inju\u00adries and the vic\u00adtims of the Holo\u00adcaust. We under\u00adstand this to mean that someone comes to terms with his or her pain\u00adful past by the per\u00adson expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adcing heal\u00ading of the inju\u00adries suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded. In most cases, a pas\u00adto\u00adral coun\u00adsell\u00ador helps in this pro\u00adcess. Every per\u00adson \u2013 regard\u00adless of their histo\u00adry \u2013 should one day come to terms with their past.
\nRenoun\u00adcing the role of God
\nWhen their father Jacob died, Joseph\u2019s brot\u00adhers beca\u00adme afraid. They feared that Joseph would now take reven\u00adge. The\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, they cau\u00adtious\u00adly plea\u00added with Joseph: \u00abThe\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre, we ask you to for\u00adgi\u00adve us. We ser\u00adve the same God as our father\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:17b NL<\/span>).
\nHow would you have reac\u00adted? After all, this was a uni\u00adque oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty from a respec\u00adted posi\u00adti\u00adon to exert power over the brot\u00adhers. The tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon is huge to keep the brot\u00adhers in debt. You then have con\u00adtrol over them and can let them stew a bit. \u00abTo for\u00adgi\u00adve is to release a pri\u00adsoner and to rea\u00adli\u00adse that that pri\u00adsoner was yours\u00adelf\u00bb (Lewis Sme\u00addes). Joseph did not give in to tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon. On the con\u00adtra\u00adry, he reve\u00ada\u00adled his soft, mal\u00adleable heart: \u00ab[\u2026] When Joseph recei\u00adved the news, he had to weep\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:17c NL<\/span>).
\nJoseph did not want to have the upper hand, but went on to say, \u00abAm I in God\u2019s place?\u00bb Behind this ques\u00adti\u00adon is a hum\u00adble heart that sub\u00admits to the hand of God. He had told his brot\u00adhers befo\u00adre: \u00abGod sent me befo\u00adre you, that he might mira\u00adcu\u00adlous\u00adly keep you ali\u00adve, and that some of you might be left. Yes, it is not you who have sent me here, but God! And he has made me Pharaoh\u2019s chief advi\u00adser \u2013 lord over his who\u00adle house and ruler over all Egypt\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 45:7\u20138 NL<\/span>). Joseph trusts in a God who pulls the strings tog\u00ade\u00adther. He does not see hims\u00adelf as a vic\u00adtim of his cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, his over\u00adly loving father or his jea\u00adlous brot\u00adhers, nor as a vic\u00adtim of a tyran\u00adni\u00adcal God who arbi\u00adtra\u00adri\u00adly rules over his life or as a vic\u00adtim of a power\u00adless God who is inca\u00adpa\u00adble of making Joseph\u2019s life more just, plea\u00adsant and wit\u00adhout suf\u00adfe\u00adring. Such a vic\u00adtim atti\u00adtu\u00adde and bathing in the sea of self-pity is ali\u00aden to Joseph.
\nA past that is unjust and pain\u00adful in our eyes easi\u00adly leads us into the tempt\u00ada\u00adti\u00adon of self-pity. This atti\u00adtu\u00adde has serious con\u00adse\u00adquen\u00adces, for it oppo\u00adses the Gos\u00adpel at its deepest core for two reasons, name\u00adly for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness and reconciliation:<\/p>\n
\n\tA vic\u00adtim atti\u00adtu\u00adde comes from the pri\u00adde of the heart and does not want to pass on for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness, becau\u00adse then the vic\u00adtim role would be inva\u00adlid. But this makes recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon impossible.<\/p>\n
\nAbra\u00adham Lin\u00adcoln, US<\/span> Pre\u00adsi\u00addent from 1861\u20131865, was at a public event and had just had a lon\u00adger con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon with a man. The con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon ended and the Pre\u00adsi\u00addent depar\u00adted. On his way out, he spo\u00adke to one of his advi\u00adsers about the pre\u00advious encoun\u00adter. \u00abI don\u2019t like his face,\u00bb Lin\u00adcoln said. \u00abBut a man can\u2019t help what kind of face he has,\u00bb the advi\u00adser defen\u00added the man. \u00abYes, it is,\u00bb Lin\u00adcoln retor\u00adted, \u00abever\u00adyo\u00adne is respon\u00adsi\u00adble for his face once he pas\u00adses for\u00adty.\u00bb Lin\u00adcoln did not mean to say that we can influence what colour our eyes are or how much hair we have. But what expres\u00adsi\u00adon is on our face is up to us. In fact, our facial expres\u00adsi\u00adon is an expres\u00adsi\u00adon of our inner self, a kind of mir\u00adror of our soul. We are not respon\u00adsi\u00adble for what hap\u00adpen\u00aded to us in life. But we are respon\u00adsi\u00adble for how we deal with it as adults, whe\u00adther we stay with the old, let it defi\u00adne and para\u00adly\u00adse us \u2013 or stub\u00adborn\u00adly seek God\u2019s bles\u00adsing. No mat\u00adter what kind of life wound you bring with you, God wants to give you more full\u00adness, bless you more and use you more.
\n\u00abAm I in God\u2019s place?\u00bb The\u00adre are pas\u00adtors who advi\u00adse peo\u00adp\u00adle to real\u00adly accu\u00adse God and throw anger and pain at him. God will bear it. In his book \u00abGod in the Dock\u00bb, C.S. Lewis wri\u00adtes the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing lines: \u00abAnci\u00adent man approa\u00adched God in the atti\u00adtu\u00adde of the accu\u00adsed who comes befo\u00adre his judge. For modern man the\u00adse roles are rever\u00adsed. He is the judge \u2013 God sits in the dock. Cer\u00adtain\u00adly, he is a bene\u00advo\u00adlent judge. If God should have a reasonable defence for being the God who allows wars, pover\u00adty and pesti\u00adlence \u2013 then man is rea\u00addy to hear him. The tri\u00adal could even end with God\u2019s acquit\u00adtal. But the bot\u00adtom line is: man sits on the judge\u2019s bench and God sits on the dock.\u00bb A God who lea\u00adves us in the jud\u00adge\u00adment seat and sits in the dock does not exist. A hum\u00adble heart will com\u00adplain befo\u00adre God, the judge, but will never sit up in the judge\u2019s seat and accuse.
\nTrust in God\u2019s goodness
\n\u00abAs for me, God has tur\u00adned ever\u00ady\u00adthing evil you plan\u00adned for good\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:20a NL<\/span>). Two things are abso\u00adlut\u00ade\u00adly neces\u00adsa\u00adry for coming to terms with the past: First, Joseph does not tri\u00advia\u00adli\u00adse the evil he expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced at the hands of his brot\u00adhers. He addres\u00adses it open\u00adly and direct\u00adly. Second\u00adly, he holds on to the rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon that God works ever\u00ady\u00adthing out for our good.
\nIn pro\u00adces\u00adses of coming to terms with their past, I often see young peo\u00adp\u00adle pro\u00adtec\u00adting their par\u00adents and say\u00ading: \u00abThey hurt me deep\u00adly, but they were also vic\u00adtims of their cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances and actual\u00adly meant well\u00bb. This is nice and con\u00adside\u00adra\u00adte, but it does not lead to heal\u00ading and recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon. The cau\u00adses of the hurts must be spo\u00adken out so that someone can con\u00adcre\u00adte\u00adly for\u00adgi\u00adve and bring the guilt to the cross.
\nThe sto\u00adry of Joseph illus\u00adtra\u00adtes an important truth: God does well! He had a good inten\u00adti\u00adon with ever\u00adyo\u00adne: the brot\u00adhers, the father and also with Joseph. God used their vile deeds to save his peo\u00adp\u00adle. Dung beco\u00admes fer\u00adti\u00adli\u00adser. God has the uni\u00adque abili\u00adty to crea\u00adte a beau\u00adtiful world out of cha\u00ados. Joseph, becau\u00adse of the inju\u00adries he suf\u00adfe\u00adr\u00aded, could in turn have hurt other peo\u00adp\u00adle. This is the nor\u00admal cycle that is con\u00adstant\u00adly repea\u00adted in our world. This \u00abvicious cir\u00adcle\u00bb can only be bro\u00adken by hol\u00adding on to God\u2019s good\u00adness and faithful\u00adness. Joseph held fast to the fact that all things are for the best to tho\u00adse who love God (Romans 8:28\u201329) \u2013 even in the midst of inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce. The\u00adre is much inju\u00ads\u00adti\u00adce on this earth. We seek jus\u00adti\u00adce. Whe\u00adre do we find it? Here is the ans\u00adwer: \u00abFor he who knew no sin made him to be sin for us, that in him we might beco\u00adme righ\u00adteous\u00adness in the sight of God\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 5:21 Lut). Jesus is righ\u00adteous\u00adness, he bestows it upon us so that we may call it our own. We find righ\u00adteous\u00adness only in Jesus!
\nLiving for God\u2019s Glory
\n\u00abIn this way he wan\u00adted to save the lives of many peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 50:20b NL<\/span>). Joseph loo\u00adked behind the sce\u00adne and dis\u00adco\u00adver\u00aded the gre\u00adat sto\u00adry. Through the hea\u00advy lot he met, some\u00adthing gre\u00adat hap\u00adpen\u00aded: a gre\u00adat peo\u00adp\u00adle was kept ali\u00adve. This hono\u00adu\u00adred God. Joseph accept\u00aded God\u2019s sove\u00adreign gui\u00addance in his life. The righ\u00adteous\u00adness and glo\u00adry of God were more important to him than the ful\u00adfilm\u00adent of his desi\u00adres and lusts. Joseph was allo\u00adwed to be an important pie\u00adce of the puz\u00adzle in God\u2019s gre\u00adat work of redemp\u00adti\u00adon. We will never be this in the same sen\u00adse as Joseph. By cap\u00adtu\u00adring the sove\u00adreign lea\u00adder\u00adship of our Saviour and the good\u00adness of God in our lives, we righ\u00adteous\u00adly reflect the glo\u00adry of God and ther\u00adeby increase His honour, glo\u00adry and prai\u00adse in this world. It is of gre\u00adat importance for us to seek God\u2019s glo\u00adry when deal\u00ading with the past. Through this focus we increase His honour, glo\u00adry and prai\u00adse in this world. We beco\u00adme a bles\u00adsing to tho\u00adse around us.
\n
\nThe linch\u00adpin of coming to terms with the past is for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness. I need for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness from God and peo\u00adp\u00adle for my guil\u00adty beha\u00adviour. I grant for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness to other peo\u00adp\u00adle becau\u00adse God has for\u00adgi\u00adven me the much grea\u00adter guilt. For\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness does not mean for\u00adget\u00adting, but \u00abI will remem\u00adber their ini\u00adqui\u00adties no more\u00bb (Hebrews 10:17 Lut). For\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness is the ren\u00adun\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon of con\u00adti\u00adnuing to suf\u00adfer, to be limi\u00adt\u00aded and to be a guar\u00addi\u00adan befo\u00adre the pri\u00adson of my offen\u00adders. It is a decis\u00adi\u00adon of the will that sets in moti\u00adon a pro\u00adcess of recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon. The result is free\u00addom for all. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who have over\u00adco\u00adme their past beco\u00adme a bles\u00adsing, salt and light, for tho\u00adse around them. It is no coin\u00adci\u00addence that in Joseph\u2019s case the pro\u00adcess of recon\u00adci\u00adlia\u00adti\u00adon ran par\u00adal\u00adlel to the bles\u00adsing of the sons of Jacob as well as the sons of Joseph (Gene\u00adsis 49).
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRea\u00adding the Bible text: Gene\u00adsis 50:17\u201321<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat is the gain of someone living in the vic\u00adtim mind\u00adset? What is the down\u00adsi\u00adde of it?
\n\tWhy is a sacri\u00adfi\u00adci\u00adal atti\u00adtu\u00adde dia\u00adme\u00adtri\u00adcal\u00adly oppo\u00adsed to the Gospel?
\n\tTo what ext\u00adent have you dealt with your past or do nega\u00adti\u00adve expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adces have an influence on your life?
\n\tWhat does a for\u00adgi\u00adve\u00adness pro\u00adcess look like in con\u00adcre\u00adte terms?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"