Genesis 42:37; 43:8,9 And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again…. And Judah said unto his father, Send the lad with me…I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.
The guilt of the brothers was heavy, and their penitence was genuine, but it remained to be proven that there was a real change of heart. Jacob would not let them go back to Egypt with Benjamin to buy more grain and rescue Simeon. So Reuben swore on the life of his two sons that he would bring Benjamin back if Jacob would let him go. Jacob refused.
Then a couple of years later, when the grain they had gotten the first time was gone, they begged their father again to take Benjamin to Egypt. This time Judah swore on his own life that he would bring Benjamin back. Jacob relented. God saw to it that the famine was so severe that there wasn’t much choice. They went back with Benjamin and double the money.
In God’s Providence, the brothers, represented by Reuben and Judah, bore fruits worthy of repentance. This was not a penance to earn restoration, but it was a natural result of genuine penitence and faith. To repent is to change one’s mind, make amends, and restore what was damaged by the sin. Zaccheus was an example of a sinner who was so overjoyed with Jesus that he restored fourfold what he had stolen. Daily repentance produces a fresh start, a new life, and a genuine desire to love God and neighbor. Proving penitence is a healthy response to grace.