“And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him” (Genesis 37:4).
TEXT — Genesis 37:1-4
Message
It pains more when you are hurt or betrayed by a trusted family member or a close friend. This is amply proved in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama, Julius Caesar. In the play, the Roman general, Caesar, recognised his bosom friend, Marcus Brutus, among those who were stabbing him to death during a conspiracy by Roman senators. Caesar utters the famous Latin words, “Et tu, Brute?” (Even you, Brutus?) It has been suggested that sighting a friend among his killers dealt Caesar the last blow.
Joseph also suffered same fate. His good nature and dreams that spoke of a brighter future, along with his father’s love attracted the hatred of his older brothers. Discarding an earlier plan to murder Joseph, they threw him into a pit, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father that an “evil beast” had slain him.
Familiar terrains are the most likely breeding ground of opposition, persecution and outright hatred. Christ puts it more aptly when He said that, “a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” While this should not result in unhealthy suspicion of your friends and relatives, you need to be aware of the depth of human depravity, which has no respect for natural ties. Only salvation in Christ can destroy these tendencies and replace them with Christlike love.
Loving the foes close to you is the most potent force that can conquer them. This is the reason Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Even though they lie in wait to harm us, the Lord assures that they cannot hurt us, “for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous…And who is he that will harm you…”
Thought for the day
Christlike love is the greatest armour against foes.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
