"Living for Jesus!" - Two

 "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!" (Ecclesiastes 10:16 KJV)

  ""Therefore, the kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so the master ordered that he be sold - along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned - to pay the debt. "But the man fell down before his master and begged him, 'Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. "His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it,' he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full."" (Matthew 18:23-30 NLT) 

 I you have been following this blog for any length of time; about 7 years ago, I think it was, I shared about this particular parable Jesus gave, based upon forgiveness. Much like that verse from Isaiah 5:18-19 that was the start of yesterday's post, my opinion about this unforgiving servant, was that he knew he would fall into debt again, therefore his forgiveness from the king, although it was greatly appreciated in the moment, it would not have lasted long, because he would end up being back in debt again. 

 Part of our forgiveness involves us being set free from our old sins, which takes us making the choice to actually forgive ourselves, in the process. Yes, the old man is to be considered crucified with Christ; but we don't then, take him down from the cross and strap the dead carcass on our back! That just makes us stink and feel very uncomfortable, to say the least. 

 To put this into something which might make more sense: The 'Woe to thee,' which is given to, "O land", is speaking to the earth, 'especially when a land is put for the inhabitants.' The funny thing about this, is that we who have been made right with God, no longer are the earth's inhabitants; we are now just pilgrim's, waiting to be taken home, into Heaven. 

 Those things of the past are still part of the earth, but we have no more debt to pay for anything here on this earth. Does that mean we don't have any obligation to make good on the things we once did that were wrong? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, the wrong which was once part of us, is now used for God's glory, as we use the things which once caused us to sin, to be things which are blessings to others! 

 Much as this Unforgiving Servant: As he was forgiven such a big dealt, his forgiveness was meant to be something he would show forth to others. If you were once something unloving, hurting and beating up others; then you are now someone that loves others, making those who are beaten and hurt feel better; that they can see Jesus' love through you. 

 The other portions of that verse describe the other side of all of that: "when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning," this is about being irresponsible and wasting the opportunity to do what is right, what is required, and what pleases the Father, who watches you from Heaven...

"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God - truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:21-32 NLT)