The story of Joseph is full of lessons that can be learned. One of those lessons is found buried in one comment that Joseph makes to his brothers in Genesis 45:24 (EasyEnglish) Then Joseph sent his brothers on their journey. As they left he said, ‘Do not argue on the way!’ Why would Joseph say this? This seems almost out of place. Well who knows someone like their brother knows them? Joseph probably knew that they were prone to argue. Who knows what would have happened if they had an argument on the way. The King James says it like this: See that ye fall not out by the way. Now to relate an old southern term, they might have had a “falling out.” They may have never finished their journey if they had started arguing.
Jesus said something that reminds me of this in John 13:34-35 (KJV) 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Jesus was fixing to depart and was giving the disciples and inherently us instructions for the journey ahead of them. He says people will know that we are His disciples if we love one another.
We are His disciples and we are supposed to love one another. Do others see that? Or do they see us quarreling along our path? Do we make snide remarks to or about each other? Now don’t begin to defend yourself and say, “That’s just how I am, that’s how I talk.” The old man is supposed to have been crucified, it’s supposed to be dead. If you’re still talking like you used to talk, maybe you’ve resurrected the old man. It says in Proverbs 16:28 (EasyEnglish) A bad man causes quarrels. And the careless words of a man can cause friends to be separate.
The careless words of a man. This is something that we should never do, is say words carelessly.
Galatians 5:13-16 KJV 13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
We serve one another in love. We should love our neighbors and or brethren as ourselves.
1 Corinthians 12:25 Easy English So, the parts of the body do not quarrel. All the parts work together so that they help each other.
We should work together to help each other.
Philippians 2:5 NET You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
We should reflect Jesus in our actions and attitude towards each other. We should pray for each other, support each other, and be glad to see each other. We should live in such a way towards each other that an observer would know that we loved each other.
1 John 3:16 ISV This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers.
Ephesians 4:32 KJV And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.