Dumpster #5

Good morning and welcome in. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.

Many years ago I was sitting at home having lunch with my family when I got a phone call. It was somebody I knew that worked out at the landfill.  He told me he had a small pile of scrap iron that he wanted to get rid of because it was in the way, and he wanted to show me something else as long as I was there. He said…” Eric, you’ve got to see this.” Andrew and I finished up eating our lunch and off to the dump we went with a small load of trash.

When we arrived we pulled over by the scrap pile.  Before we even started to get loaded up, our friend said ” Come take a look at this.” He walked us over to one of the big dumpsters and slowly flipped open the lid. It was almost completely full to the top with large black trash bags. He reached inside the dumpster and grabbed a single bag that was sitting right on top and told me to open it up.  

When I gazed inside I couldn’t believe what I had found.  Inside that trash bag was the aroma of freshly laundered and pressed clothes, including pants and t-shirts and piles of socks, not to mention other numerous clothing items. They all looked like they had just come from the store.  These were nice newer items of all different sizes.  I told him that I was shocked that someone would throw these usable items away. He looked at me and said,…

” it’s not just that one bag…. the entire dumpster is filled with them.”

this reminds me of the Christian Life.

The Bible gives severe warnings for the rich and when I looked into that dumpster there’s no way a poor man could have ever done this. Instead of helping somebody out in need, they callously threw them into a dumpster instead, eventually to be buried underground in a landfill. God Is watching to see how you use the things that he has given you

Matt 25:14-30

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

A talent is a very large sum of money.  This parable is about the misuse of the finances that God had given him.  When I think about the thousands of clothes in that dumpster I think about somebody who had purchased those items and simply threw them away to be buried in the ground.

There’s so much waste that goes on in the world each day that it’s absolutely shameful. There’s piles of food that are thrown in the dumpster a few hours after its cooked.  There are buildings and houses that are empty that could help house people who don’t have anything to live in. There are items that are fully functional that are thrown in the garbage that could be given to somebody who could use it.

Many years ago I worked at a job in a huge warehouse as a foreman for a work crew with disabilities.  Each day a few garbage trucks would drive in and dump large loads on a conveyor that carried everything upstairs to another conveyor.  Upstairs all of the workers would go through the garbage and remove anything that was usable.  Granted some of it was garbage but there were a lot of items that were completely functional.  

God Is watching to see how faithful you are with the things that he has given you.  In the church the rich were supposed to help out the poor.

James 2:14-17

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

One really needs to consider this passage before throwing usable things away. There are always people who are poor in this world that you can find to help in your own neighborhoods.  I’m not talking about selling something to make another dollar. If it truly holds no inherent value to you, give it to somebody in the name of Jesus. When you give it to others and tell them it’s in the name of Jesus I believe God will reward you.  God is love and we can show our love to the poor in our area by helping them in their physical needs.

Federal, state and the county obviously have programs to help the poor and I know they are completely overburdened.  What I’m talking about is thinking about the poor who live close by you that you can assist and help with what God has blessed you with. Imagine if everybody did that. We can love others with our possessions and our finances if we simply think about them and reach out to their needs. Please consider this the next time you remember what was in…….

…….Dumpster #5

Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.

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