The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys
Genesis 42:21
Then they said to one another, “In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen. That is why this distress has come upon us.”
No matter how hard these ten brothers have tried to hush that little voice of conscience over the years, it just won’t go away. Maybe it speaks every time merchants from Midian pass by with a cart full of slaves. Or maybe it speaks at the dinner table, whenever young Benjamin takes his seat next to Jacob, and he looks too much like you know who. Or maybe it speaks on long days shepherding Jacob’s sheep, in the haunting silence where they used to hear Joseph’s voice calling out from a mile away. I love this moment, friend, because this might be the first time these guys have ever come clean out loud. They’re tired of carrying the weight, they’re worn out from wrestling an invincible conscience, and one of them blurts out a confession that all immediately echo.
John writes in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins,” so I know one thing for sure: there’s hope for these boys yet.