Date: 8/21/2007
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: August 21, 2007
<br><br>Did you ever see the “Andy Griffith” episode where Barney puts himself in a jail cell instead of paying a fine imposed by Andy?  Mayberry’s illustrious sheriff does everything he can to coax ole’ Barn out of that cell, but to no avail.  Barney is determined to stand his ground inside the bars of his own choosing.  In the end it seems kind of silly, you know, a man choosing to be incarcerated.  Especially when all he had to do was to reach through the bars, get the keys off the wall, and let himself out.  As ridiculous as the thought might be, we all encounter people every day who are walking around in an orange jumpsuit with numbers on their back.  Of course we don’t literally see them that way, but internally, they are doing hard time.  I dare say that if the truth be known, some of us are “dead men walking” as well.....working on a self-imposed life sentence without the possibility of parole.<br><br>The prison I am talking about is not “The Rock”, as Barney Fife called it.  It’s the “Big House” of  unforgiveness.  It’s an institution where there is no such thing as grace, mercy or compassion.  It is a place where you hear comments like, “I hate them” or, “I didn’t deserve what they did to me”.  You might hear, “I could never forgive him for what he did to me” or, “I don’t get mad, I get even!”  Have you ever walked the halls of such a place?  I bet you have.  My footsteps have echoed there a time or two as well.  The question I want us to ponder is this......Why would we continue in such a place if we didn’t have to?  Why, like Barney, would we keep sleeping on a hard mattress and eating bread and water unless it‘s what we really wanted?  Why do we not just reach through the bars, get the keys, and let ourselves out?  It seems so simple and yet complex at the same time, but it’s really not.  Here it is.  There are always two people jailed in the cells of unforgiveness.  The victim and the perpetrator.  When forgiveness is not granted, the cell door slams shut on both people. Sometimes, the unforgiving person suffers more than the one who did the wrong.  Bitterness, malice, and unrest become the norm in the life of the hard-hearted.  Why anyone would want to live such a life is a mystery to me.  Especially in the wake of the following thoughts.<br><br>Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”  In that same sermon, our Lord also said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  I did not graduate from any school of divinity, nor am I the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I think I can even figure that one out.  If you want to be forgiven, then you had better get to forgiving.  If you want to spend eternity by the side of your Maker, then lay aside your swords of hatred, blame, judgementalism and callousness.  In its place, pick up a sack full of love, care, compassion, kindness, encouragement and understanding.<br><br>There were a great number of people all over the world this past Sunday who should have left their gifts at the altar and fled.  Worship with an unforgiving heart is not acceptable worship.  Regular church attendance with a hate filled heart is no more than keeping a pew warm.  Partaking of the Lord’s Supper with a<br>spiteful spirit is just another slap in the face for our Savior.  No one said forgiveness was easy, nor do I imply such a thing.  But, given the eternal implications, we’d better figure out a way to get it done.  Remember, the keys are within arms length.<br>    <br>Go the extra mile - Devin<br><br>