Forgiveness Isn’t Fair – September 14, 2026
Read: Genesis 50:15-21
Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Genesis 50:19-21
Forgiveness Isn’t Fair
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“But that’s not fair,” Billy said, fighting back tears. “He doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.” Billy’s face was scratched and his elbow was bleeding as he sat in the pastor’s office. He was right. Joey had started it. He pushed Billy down during a game at vacation Bible school. Joey said he was sorry, but that didn’t make what he did okay.
“He doesn’t deserve to be forgiven,” Billy repeated. Billy was right. Think about the bully who was mean to you, the teacher who was unfair to you, or your sister who lied about you to your parents. None of them deserve to be forgiven.
Joseph’s brothers didn’t deserve to be forgiven. They were cruel to him. They planned to kill him and then sold him into slavery. Because of his brothers, Joseph spent years as a slave in Egypt and then many more as a prisoner in a dark dungeon. Now Joseph held a powerful position in Egypt—and his brothers’ lives were in his hands. They begged him not to punish them. It wasn’t fair.
But do we really want what is fair? Fair means getting what we deserve. Because of our sins, we deserve God’s punishment forever in hell.
We don’t want fair; we want mercy.
And that’s exactly what God gives us. God did not ignore our sins. In his great mercy, Jesus suffered what wasn’t fair in our place so we could be forgiven. Forgiveness is never fair. Fair would mean that we would suffer the punishment Jesus suffered for us.
But God has treated us in the most wonderfully unfair way. He forgives us, even though we don’t deserve it. Forgiving someone does not mean pretending that the wrong was okay or that there should never be consequences. It is mercy we share because God first showed mercy to us. And when we see God’s undeserved, unfair, unending forgiveness for us, it helps us to do the hard work of forgiving others.
That’s how Joseph could forgive his brothers. That’s how Billy could learn to forgive Joey. That’s how you can forgive those who do you wrong, even though they don’t deserve it.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, please forgive me even though I don’t deserve it and help me to forgive those who don’t deserve my forgiveness. Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- Were Joseph’s brothers kind or mean to him?
- What did Joseph do instead of hurting his brothers?
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- Why do you think it’s so hard for us to forgive other people?
- How does remembering Jesus’ forgiveness help you forgive someone who hurts you?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- Agree or disagree? Knowing what Jesus did to save us makes it easier to forgive others.
- A friend says, “My mom grounded me unfairly, and I’ll never forgive her.” What could you say without pretending that the situation was handled fairly?
