I heard a story about a baggage handler who worked for a major airline. One day while he was working, a customer became angry over the way his luggage was being handled. He loudly and profanely berated the worker. This tirade went on for quite some time. All the while, the baggage handler kept smiling and nodding–“Yes, sir. No, sir. I will, sir.”

Finally the angry customer walked away. Someone who had observed the entire episode approached the baggage handler and said, “I admire the way you took all that verbal abuse and never responded in kind. You must have a very forgiving heart.”

The man smiled and answered, “No, sir. I don’t have a forgiving heart at all. That man is going to Cleveland, but his bags are going to Detroit!”

Isn’t that the way we tend to be in our sinful nature? When someone sins against us, we want them to get what’s coming to them! And if we can in some way help them to get what’s coming to them, that’s even better!

However, Jesus teaches us that we are to have a forgiving heart. In Matt.6:14-15, he says, “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.”