When Offence Blindsides the Heart
One of the first lessons we learn from Joseph’s story is how powerful — and dangerous — offence can be.
Offence has the ability to creep quietly into the heart and then grow into something destructive. Left unchecked, it can distort how we see people, situations and even God’s work in our lives.
In Acts 7:9 we are given a short summary of Joseph’s early story:
“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him.”
Those last words are crucial: God was with him.
Even in the middle of betrayal, jealousy and injustice, Joseph was not alone. And the same is true for us. When life wounds us or when others treat us unfairly, God does not abandon us in those moments.
Joseph’s brothers became deeply offended by him. Genesis 37:4 tells us:
“When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”
Their father Jacob clearly showed special affection towards Joseph. That favouritism created tension within the family, and the brothers allowed resentment to take root.
This reminds us how easily offence can begin. Often it starts with comparison: someone receives recognition, opportunity or blessing that we wish we had. Instead of celebrating with them, something inside us begins to harden.
The situation worsened when Joseph shared the dreams God had given him. Genesis 37:8 says:
“His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.”
Rather than seeing Joseph’s passion or recognising that God might be at work, they interpreted everything through the lens of their offence.
That is what offence does. It changes how we hear people. It changes how we see their intentions. Eventually it convinces us that someone else’s success is somehow a threat to us.
Joseph’s brothers allowed jealousy and offence to spiral until they reached a shocking decision. Genesis 37:18–20 describes how they plotted to kill him when they saw him approaching in the distance. In the end they threw him into a cistern and later sold him into slavery.
Years later, their guilt finally surfaced. In Genesis 42:21 they admitted:
“We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen.”
Offence had blinded them to Joseph’s pain.
The lesson for us is clear: offence is a dangerous place for the heart to live. When we allow resentment to grow, it eventually harms others and damages our own souls.
But there is always another option. When we sense offence rising within us, we can pause, reflect and ask God to soften our hearts again. Sometimes we need trusted people around us who can challenge our attitudes and help us see things more clearly.
Joseph’s story reminds us that we must guard our hearts carefully. The way we respond to offence will shape the direction of our lives.
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