«Then it happened as they emptied their sacks, that surprisingly each man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid» (Genesis 42:35).
Joseph kept Simeon, the instigator of the cruelty toward him twenty years before, imprisoned until the others returned with Benjamin, to prove that they were not spies. Then Simeon would be freed.
With an «I told you so,» (see Genesis 42:22) Reuben reminded his brothers of the cruelty with which they had treated Joseph and how he tried in vain to free him. The years had not diminished their guilt. They believed they were being punished by God for having sold their brother Joseph. Saying «I told you so» does not free anyone from remorse; it only adds to the feeling of guilt, without one learning the lessons from the past, and provoking a defensive attitude with little possibility of genuine repentance.
When the brothers found their money back in their sacks, they saw it as a bad omen and not as a blessing. Although they were somewhat repentant, they still blamed God for their difficulties, exclaiming «What is this that God has done to us?» (Genesis 42:28). When something does not go right for us, our first reaction is to ask, «Why is God doing this to me?» without stopping to recognize that we reap the results of our own wrong actions. Our guilt can make us see a blessing as a punishment.
Jacob burst into lamentation when he heard the report. He would not send Benjamin with them. Not Benjamin, whom he believed to be his only remaining son from his beloved wife Rachel. The brothers accepted the reproaches of their elderly father, because they were more responsible for the loss of Joseph than Jacob himself knew. If his sons had confessed the truth to their father, if they had asked God for forgiveness, they wouldn’t have had to keep struggling under the weight of their guilt, seeing each event as a divine punishment. But they avoided talking about what had really happened.
The conversation that a family avoids is often the one they need to have the most. Many families would benefit from prayerfully deciding to review the wounds of the past and confronting what is keeping them distanced from one another, or filled with guilt and bitterness.
Gather your family and review the matters from the past that are still causing pain, guilt or resentment. Forgive one another for what happened, and decide on a present characterized by reconciliation and joy.
Taken from: Devotional Thoughts for Women 2023 “DAUGHTER OF MINE” Do Not Be Afraid From: Arsenia Fernandez-Uckele Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate