Title: Happy Family (Genesis 50:15-21)
The famous poet Goethe said, "Blood is thicker than water." There is also a Korean proverb that has a similar content to this saying. "Hands bend inward" There is another saying that is interpreted in the same context. “Crabs are on the side of crayfish” are all words with the same meaning.
As we spend the last Sunday of May in Family Month, we are giving a series of sermons on the theme of a happy family. Today, I would like to talk about the same period for the last time and close the final chapter of this sermon. There are times in life when we hate each other and sometimes we don't like it. Even though we are the same age, there are many times when we are inferior to others. However, they say that when bad things happen, good things happen during the same period. If you look at the history of the Bible, there is a person who showed the most intense affection during the same period and set the example of brotherly friendship. He is Joseph. Joseph was born the eleventh of Jacob's twelve sons. Joseph, who came to Egypt after being sold by his brothers, became the prime minister of the country, and later invited his parents and brothers to his homeland to do filial piety and practice harmony between the same time period. How can we live in fraternity among brothers?
First, brotherly friendship must be hierarchical.
There is a saying in Confucius' Three Rivers and Five Rings: It means that there is manners between superiors and inferiors. There is no brotherly love where it is not possible to distinguish between the younger and the older. Even if you have a high rank and financial power, they cannot be the standard for human ethics and morals. We can't help but lament the fact that today's world has been corrupted and the ethical discipline that neither parents nor grandchildren know has collapsed. Joseph had great respect for his parents and brothers, and he was a man who kept the relationship.
Second, brotherly friendship should not be a burden to the other person.
When brotherly friendship becomes a burden to each other, it becomes tiring and eventually cracks. Novelist Hwang Soon-won said that the enemy of brotherly reconciliation is trust. Even if it is difficult to spread my hands, I want to spread my hands to others and live as much as possible so that I do not become a burden during the same period. You can help, so don't be embarrassed that you helped, and if you receive help, you will receive it even if you don't think it is a little bit, so I hope you will be a saint who knows how to be grateful.
Third, brotherly friendship requires tears.
Today's Bible records that Joseph dealt with his brothers and groaned because he could not contain them. During the period, there must be affection. The cause of today's cultural diseases (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, neuralgia, etc.) is the lack of sweat and tears. When we share a strong bond between brothers and live together, friendship grows stronger between siblings. Where the emotions have dried up, neither tears nor forgiveness will dry up.
Fourth, brotherly friendship blossoms when there is faith.
Joseph tells his brothers: I didn't come here because my brothers sold me, but God sent me here ahead of me to save my family. That's something I can't even imagine. Obviously, Joseph was sold by his brothers and came to Egypt, and because of that, he suffered a life of slavery, a life in prison, and all kinds of suffering and humiliation. Nevertheless, knowing all these things as the providence of God, he refrained from it. This is Joseph's character and his faith. Here, the brothers melted in front of Joseph's faith.
I hope that we can all become people of faith and become members of Geumkwang Church who can show the love of Jesus to unbelievers and their parents and relatives.