Paper or Plastic?

We’ve all heard the expressions to get "sacked."  You know it’s the football term that descriptively portrays the brutal force of someone hitting another on the field of play, or it can signify a job loss. But we can be 'sacked' emotionally as well. I have been doing quite a bit of sacking lately- emotionally packing up people and relationships that don’t quite suit anymore. Disappoint me- in the sack, you go to be discarded like last month’s left over lasagna. Plastic for that; it's wet and messy- not to mention,  less smelly that way.
 
Paper; now, it’s recyclable. Hard break for the first time. There is paper for that. After things have hardened a bit, it won’t run and make a mess. Paper holds hard and crusty things well, things like an embittered heart.   Paper will stain and leave an odor. But who cares?

Only God throws away best. He throws our sins into the sea of forgetfulness to remember them no more:   "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea"  (Micah 7:19). He does not give us what we deserve.

Now,  I could be like my Daddy, the Great Garbage Collector, throw away my offenders' sins, my pettiness, etc… But what would be the fun in that?

When we keep things in bags, we are tempted to take them out and peek at them. We don’t deserve mercy, but we receive it.  Jesus tells the story of a miserly man who owed the king an exorbitant sum of money. The king forgave the debt and released the man.  When he was released from debtor's prison, he went out and right away found another servant of the king to put the 'squeeze' on. He was ready to 'sack' his fellow-worker:

Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.  When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.  But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.  The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’  The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.  "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’  "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’  He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due.  So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done.  Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.  Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’   His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.  So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds (Matt. 18:23-35).
 
When we shrink-wrap our hearts, we keep out more than we keep in our plastic bags. The miserly servant lost more than he gained by demanding that his fellow servant pay him what was due. This story reminds me that  what needs to make its way into the trashcan are our bitter feelings. We might say, "well, they sinned too." True, their sin is not correct, but neither is our attitude. I want forgiveness more than I want to be right. I hope you feel the same way.
 
A Forgiven Servant,
M.J.

　

So, the next time you or I feel the need to sack someone- let’s not take it to them physically or emotionally. Let’s take those bitter feelings alone to the trashcan.  Remember, he who has been forgiven much must forgive much (Luke 7:47).