Joseph's Colorful Coat
Joseph is given a beautiful coat by his father. Though he goes through hard days, he ends up forgiving his brothers with love.
The Colorful Coat
Joseph was one of the sons his father Jacob loved dearly. One day his father gave him a beautiful coat full of colors. Joseph was so happy when he put it on. The coat shone with many colors in the sunlight, and every time Joseph wore it he felt very much loved. Joseph was one of his father's youngest sons, and his father truly loved him dearly. Jealousy begins as a small sour feeling in the heart; but if it is fed, it grows and leads a person into sad choices. But when his older brothers saw the coat, they felt sad and jealous; “Father loves him more than us,” they thought.
Off to a Faraway Land
Joseph also had interesting dreams, and he would tell everyone about them. These dreams made his brothers a little upset too. The jealousy grew and grew, and one day his brothers sent Joseph far away to a distant land, Egypt. Joseph stayed in a brand-new place, very far from his family.
Wise Joseph in Egypt
In Egypt, things were not easy for Joseph at all. But wherever he went, Joseph stayed honest and hard-working; he never stopped trusting God. In time, people noticed how wise he was. Joseph could understand the meaning of dreams. One day he warned the ruler of the land about a coming famine — a hard time when food would run low — and helped everyone get ready. So Joseph was given a very important job in Egypt and saved the people from hunger.
Forgiving with Love
Years later the famine really did come, and Joseph's brothers traveled all the way to Egypt to find food. At first they did not realize that the powerful ruler standing before them was Joseph, the little brother they had sent far away years ago. When Joseph recognized them, he began to cry. He was not angry with them; he opened his arms and hugged them. “Do not be afraid,” he said. “I forgive you. God turned everything that happened into good.”
Joseph called his whole family to Egypt, and they were all together and happy again.
Joseph's story shows us the power of forgiveness. When we are treated badly, it is easy to be angry. But like Joseph, we can choose to forgive with love. Forgiving lightens the heart — both the other person's and our own.
Talk about the story
Joseph even forgave those who treated him badly. What do you do when forgiving someone feels hard?