Being About The Lord's Business

Genesis 45
3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them.

Okay, so I’ve just read (again) the account of Joseph dealing with his brothers during the time of the great famine. I am conflicted as I read this story. Joseph treats his brothers horribly before he reveals who he is. He gets revenge, if you will, by playing the game he plays with his brothers before revealing who he is and setting things up to save the family. Sure, his brothers deserved to suffer for what they did to Joseph, but Joseph wasn’t the one who had the right to inflict that vengeance. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. Okay, so Joseph was doing the Lord’s work, some may say. One of my favorite lines from Singer/Songwriter Rich Mullins doesn’t come from a song, but from a statement he made during a concert appearance, “ ‘Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord’ and I just LOVE being about the Lord’s business.” Now, he said that in jest (sort of), but it reflects an attitude many of us carry around. I want to be in the forgiveness business, not the vengeance business. Guess I just have a long way to go to understand it all.