NOTES for Gen 43:1-34
Joseph's forgiveness is a significant milestone in the evolution or, better, the ascent of the human spirit from the depths of the original fall. Patriarch Noah still cannot forgive his son, while Joseph already forgives his brothers. Yet for all the nobility of his action, it is still very far from the ideal revealed by Christ. Two signs of this can be pointed out.
First, he still forgives while he is in a secure and prosperous position. He sees that the Lord has turned his brothers' evil into good. He sees this clearly. We would like to emphasize the word "clearly." This is much easier when you see plainly how the Lord repays you. Connected with this is an instructive story about the word "openly," which arose in later manuscripts and entered the Synodal translation of Matt 6:4; in Bishop Cassian's translation, based on older manuscripts, it is absent. Justice has been restored; the wronged person has received compensation. But that is only from the human point of view and from the viewpoint of the visible world around us. Christ, by contrast, forgives after receiving the Cross as His reward. That is something entirely different.
Second, Joseph forgives his brothers, that is, people related to him; and kinship feeling is stronger the deeper we go back through the centuries. Let us recall the words: "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18). It is precisely the words "against the sons of your own people" that deserve attention. Only the Lord will take the next step: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you: Love your enemies" (Matt 5:43-44).