Torturers

Matthew 18:34 - And in his anger he handed over the slave to the torturers until all the debt should be paid.

My note says torturers. Most translations say jail. Either way, Jesus makes it clear that there are consequences for not being a forgiving person. Now, we (theoretically) do not have debtor's prison anymore. However, as I can see in many people who support Trump or Republicans, there is an anger and a hurt underneath their facades. This anger, in my theory, stems from their ungracious nature. Where that might come from is anybody's guess - I'm sure the origins are different for each. However, the anger is the same. The anger and the hurt. The feeling of loss. This anger, hurt and loss is a kind of torture for them. They don't know where it comes from; it's just there. Even in McConnell and Ryan, it's there. They are trapped in a prison of their own making. A slow torture that never goes away. And like our slave this morning, they alone hold the key to freedom. Pay the debt, forgive their enemies, be generous. Those are the keys for all of us to release ourselves from prisons of our minds.

These keys are difficult because they require us to examine our lives. That is difficult because that in turn means examining how the world fits with what we already believe, with what we've been taught and our own experiences. Sometimes, that means questioning the authority figures of our childhood; parents, teachers, pastors. That is difficult - and yet it is the only way to freedom. Most of us never take it. I myself take it grudgingly. Yet, the reward is always worth the effort - in the end.
B