In this lesson, we learn about Matthew 5:7, in which Jesus states, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

The character sketch we will share as a picture of mercy, will be Joseph’s reunion with his family in Egypt (Genesis 45).

And of course, Jesus Himself is God’s mercy for all who put their faith in Him (Eph 2:1-10), who was anticipated in the old testament, by the Mercy
Seat of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25).

Handout:  Blessed are the merciful

Narrative:

Joseph was a man who understood mercy. The word mercy means showing kindness and forgiveness to someone who deserves punishment. Joseph had a terrible thing happen to him when he was young; he was sold into slavery by his own brothers, and he experienced a lot of hardship at the hands of an Egyptian ruler as a result.

Later in his life, after he had become rich and powerful in Egypt, he was reunited with his brothers. It happened when there was a famine in the Land. God had used Joseph to help the Egyptian people prepare in advance for the famine. The famine was so severe that it affected people all over, including Joseph’s family who was living in Canaan. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt seeking help.

Joseph recognized his brothers and devised a clever way to get them all to come see him. He had his palace manager provide food for his brothers, but also told him to sneak in money and Joseph’s possessions to make it look like they had stolen from Joseph! He did this so that they would have to return and seek his forgiveness. Once he had them all in the room with him, he had the PERFECT opportunity to take revenge on all of them for the cruelness they had shown him so many years before.

But rather than giving punishment, Joseph had mercy on them. After sending his attendants out of the room so that he could be alone with his brothers, he revealed to them who he was. He broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

“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. “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

“Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”

The brothers did exactly that. And when they brought the amazing news to Jacob, their father, his spirits were revived. Then all of Joseph’s family moved to Egypt so they would be spared from the ravages of the famine.

Joseph had the right and the power to take revenge on his brothers, yet he chose to show mercy. He did this, because he realized that it was GOD’s Mercy that allowed Joseph to become a powerful ruler, and be in a position to save his family from famine. Joseph was able to be Merciful, because he had experienced Go’s Mercy. And this is a picture of what Jesus meant when he said “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” Which is to say only those who have experienced that saving mercy of God can be truly merciful. Jesus said this knowing that His own death on the cross would be the ultimate act of God’s mercy for us, so that we can be merciful to others.