Joseph and His Brothers

“Joseph, Dad told you to forgive us for being mean to you.” Joseph’s brothers were frightened. They had been very mean to Joseph. If you’ve been reading Genesis with Joni, you know the story. Joseph’s brothers got jealous of him and sold him into slavery! Even though God used this to help provide for all of Joseph’s family, when their dad Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers were sure Joseph was going to stop being kind to them. They couldn’t believe that Joseph had really forgiven them. Do you ever have trouble forgiving someone for being mean to you? What did Joseph tell his brothers about why he had forgiven them? Are they reasons that should help us remember to forgive, too?