But that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.
Matthew 19:28-30, New English Standard Version
Whenever I read these verses from the story of "The Unforgiving Servant," I see in my mind's eye, my imagination, a man holding another man by the collar. As the one in need of forgiveness falls, the unforgiving one holds him by the collar. The one needing forgiveness is relaxed, broken, on-his-knees; the unforgiving is bent over him threatening, angry, muscles full of strain and tension. Contrition and confession is a relaxed posture, a posture of one held. Anger and unforgiveness is a tense and taxing posture.
Struggling with angry memories of past hurts and thoughtless words, I became aware of this image. I was still bent over these people my spiritual muscles taught and tired. The Holy Spirit urged, "Let go." Realizing in that moment how much work, how heavy a yoke that spiritual posture was, I let go. In that moment, the Holy Spirit allowed me to imagine all those debtors of mine falling away and into His arms. As the tension and strain of holding on to those people released, I felt light and joyful.
You cannot live the Sabbatical Life, the life of rest, if you hold on to collars. The burden of unforgiveness is like trying to hold the weight of another human being for days, weeks, years or decades. Unforgiveness requires a life of tension and strain; confession and forgiveness relaxed, broken, on-your-knees and in-His-arms. Practicing a life of confession and forgiveness is the easy yoke Jesus calls us to bear. It is the relaxed work of the Kingdom. Let go of collars; enter into the Sabbatical Life.
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