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Genesis 37-50 – The Temptations of Dysfunctional Families #8
Being hurt brings the temptation of putting ourselves into the place of God, by taking revenge. This is another form of not forgiving. While we can be passive in our unforgiving, we can also be dangerously and sinfully active. Turning the other cheek can only happen after being sinned against (Mt 5.38-39). Being hurt suggests in a sinister whispering voice to hurt those who hurt us. Suffering and bitterness brings many temptations. The greater the pain of betrayal, the closer the relationship, increases the danger of bitterness. “It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend” (William Blake). Families, both physical and spiritual, provide Satan with fertile ground to grow bitterness within our hearts and ranks. “Even Jesus had a Judas” someone said. I wonder if they might have stood face to face with his Judas as he was stabbed in the back and kissed on the cheek. The fertile ground produces not life, but death. Joseph refused to put himself into the place of God (Gen 50.19).
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