When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” (Gen 50,15)

At that moment, seventeen years had passed since the opening of the secret chamber of the brothers (the revelation before Joseph, Gen 47:28). This means, however, the brothers had spent all these years in fear without being sure if Joseph would not take revenge on them. This is due to the fact that they had not dealt with their guilt in the only possible way that brings solution. It consists in the obsolete term "repentance", which means to acknowledge and confess one´s guilt. As a result, the brothers cannot leave the prison of guilt and fear. They build defensive walls inside and we can see how their views of other people and the world are burdened and distorted - they suspect Josef of things he had never had in mind.

What a stone fell from their hearts, how clear and simple it all became when they finally came to Joseph confessing their guilt. I think they thought at the time that if they knew how relieved they would be, they would have done it much sooner.

How complicated the life is when a man is unwilling to confess his guilt.