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Letting Go

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Jonah 4:4 Then said the Lord, Do you do well to be angry?

There was a young man that attended school in a large north-eastern city. In his studies he fell in love with eagles. He read, and watched anything, and everything about eagles. The more he studied the more he loved eagles. He promised himself when he graduated he would travel out west to observe the eagles in the wild. Finding a job teaching, he saved his money, planning for a summer eagle watching excursion. When the time arrived he booked a flight to an area where eagles were often spotted. Renting a jeep, he packed his camping gear, and off he went in search of eagles. Talking to locals he scouted out an area to set up camp. With his binoculars, and telescope in hand, he hiked to an area near the cliffs where eagles were reportedly seen. Yet, he failed to spot even one eagle. On his last, and final day, he exclaimed, Eureka, as he spotted an eagle soaring high in the sky. Awestruck, he watched as the eagle soared high above the clouds eventually gliding to a nest nestled in the crevices of some nearby cliffs. Keeping an ever, watchful eye on the nest, he was astounded as the eagle leaped into the air performing a steep dive, maneuver towards an unseen target on the ground below. Hurtling to the earth with great speed the eagle disappeared beneath the tree line. In a few minutes the eagle rocketed up from the ground soaring high into the sky clutching something unrecognizable in its sharp talons. Unfortunately, the thrill of this sight was short-lived as the young man observed the beautiful eagle suddenly going limp, spiraling, downward from its heights, catapulting to the ground. Startled, the young man began running to the area where he had last seen the eagle fall. When he arrived he was shocked, and surprised to discover the eagle was dead. The young man wondered what could have caused the eagle’s death. As he turned the eagles carcass over he was dumbfounded to discover the answer. Attached to its chest was a dead weasel, its claws dug deeply into its heart. It seems the eagle had swooped to the ground to capture its prey in its sharp talons only to lose the battle in its dizzying ascent. As the weasel fought back the eagle had refused to let go losing its heart in the process. 

Jonah chose unforgiveness over letting go of the offenses he had towards the Ninevites and in the process lost his heart. What are the “weasels” in your heart digging themselves into your ascent toward God? Are they worth losing your heart and plunging to an earth bound death of an existence? Let it go. Release them, or release it, from the debt you think they owe you. Don’t let the “weasels” of life remove you from heaven’s realms.

Never Forget!

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Amos 1:9,11 ….because they [as middlemen] delivered up a whole [Jewish] population to Edom and did not [seriously] remember their brotherly covenant….11 because he pursued his brother Jacob (Israel) with the sword, corrupting his compassions and casting off all pity, and his anger tore perpetually and his wrath he kept and heeded forever.

Human nature is a funny thing. We are only a month and a few days to an event that happened twenty-four years ago: September 11, 2001. Never Forget was the common refrain used to remember the September 11th terrorist attacks and honor the victims, first responders, and all those affected by the tragedy. Fast forward twenty-four years later and the headlines read: Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral primary over Andrew Cuomo. He is known as a Shia Muslim, and a democrat socialist. Never Forget? We can rest assured many have fallen back to sleep and have totally forgotten. In fact it’s an interesting parallel between the Scripture reference above, Esau and his descendants, who kept his wrath and heeded it forever.

Forgetfulness is a big deal to God. Some say we are to forgive and forget based on the Scripture in Micah 7:19 that states God hides our sin in the sea of forgetfulness. Isaiah 43:25 echoes this metaphor stating: “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. One Biblical theologian from my teen years stated: It’s not that God forgets our sin – it’s that He chooses to not bring them up anymore. He chooses to release us from the debt He knows we owe Him. This is why forgiveness is an even bigger deal with God than forgetfulness. There is an interesting connection between forgetfulness and forgiveness. Dt. 4:23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you,… Dt. 6:12 states: …beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Don’t forget where you came from, and don’t forget Who you have made covenant with. Jesus amplifies this in His Parable of the Unjust Servant. Matthew 18:23-30 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 

We fail to forgive when we forget the debt that has been paid for our sins. It’s really that simple. Only those who aren’t aware of the depths of their sin can casually throw another in to the prison of their making. Sadly many a person have forged their own chains through unforgiveness being tormented by something far worse than a measly offense. Psalm 119:165 states: Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble. Those who know the Word know it’s Jesus. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Law or the Instruction or Teaching. Those who can’t remember, can’t forgive, stumble over the Stumbling Stone of the Chief Cornerstone, Jesus. Why? 1 Peter 2:7-8 explains: Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. They stumble because of their disobedience, and their disobedience reveals what they consider to be precious.