Seventh Sunday after Epiphany; 20 February 2022; Epiphany 7C (RCL); Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38.
I suspect the designers of the lectionary linked the Genesis reading to the Gospel reading, figuring that Joseph was a good example of forgiving egregious wrongs. However, I find the figure of Joseph rather troubling, and I suspect the editors of the Pentateuch also found him troubling.
Joseph didn’t forgive his brothers until he had pretty much terrorized them. On their first trip, he returned each man’s money to the sack of grain he took back to Canaan. And he swore that he would refuse to see them again unless they brought their younger brother Benjamin with them the next time. And then he put Pharaoh’s cup in Benjamin’s sack, and sent men after his brothers, who, of course, found the cup. Only after bringing them back as criminals does he reveal himself to his brothers. More like revenge than forgiveness.
And Joseph is the person who helps Pharaoh make slaves of all Egypt. The people of Egypt have to sell their land and then themselves into slavery to buy grain during the seven years of drought. In some sense, Joseph is responsible for Israel’s slavery in Egypt. Not exactly a likeable character! I’m not sure he serves as a good example of forgiveness.
But, Jesus isn’t talking about forgiveness the way we tend to think of it. When Jesus advises turning the other cheek, we are likely to hear this as advice to continue in abusive relationships (at least that is how this is often read and preached). If someone slapped you on the cheek, you would be shamed in the face of all who witnessed it. To turn the other cheek would shame your abuser as a bully. Jesus says if someone demands your cloak, give them your shirt also. You only had two garments. You would be standing there naked, and your abuser would be shamed for shaming you.
It is no wonder that Gandhi learned his non-violence from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew’s version of these sayings). Such non-violence shames the oppressor. And MLK learned his non-violence from Gandhi. Not exactly forgiveness, but a leveling of the playing field. In Luke’s situation, the Roman Empire held all the cards, and so the sermon is meant to redirect our attention from rage at the oppressor toward building sustainable communities despite the Empire.
Without forgiveness, we turn our enemies into demons, and then there can be no common interest, and hence no sustainable community. By leveling the playing field, shaming the shamer, we can reconstruct the kingdom. Then the measure we give will be the measure we receive. God is kind to the wicked as well as to the righteous. Only when we can see all as human can we build a society that works. Sometimes, we have to shame the oppressor to get him to see our humanity. But, we have to forgive, or no common good is possible.