Refused Mail

I was having a little visit with Mrs. Duffy at Letter Matters, when I read that postage used to be paid by the recipient. Mrs. Duffy provided readers with a link to The Guardian and the article: Undelivered letters shed light on 17th-century society. Many of the letter recipients in the late 1600s and early 1700s refused to pay the postage required to receive their mail. These letters were from aristocrats, spies, merchants, publishers, actors and musicians. Either the recipient felt the letters weren’t important enough, or they didn’t have the extra money to retrieve their mail. Today, the sender pays for the mail. The recipient doesn’t pay a cent. Still, there are those who write Refused across their mail without opening it. 

In Old Testament days, forgiveness from sins was given when a sacrifice was made. A spotless sacrifice was required and was to be purchased by the sinner. Then Jesus came! The veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. No longer was a blood sacrifice required. Jesus paid for all our sin! Yet even with “pre-paid” sacrifice, many still refuse His gift. I think a refused, unopened letter is sad. But unopened mail from God, written in the blood of Jesus Christ, stamped with “Refused,” goes much deeper than “sad.” Surely this grieves the heart of Jesus, denying potential recipients the greatest friendship one can possibly experience. 

Break the seal on your locked heart. Accept the love and sacrifice of God and His Son, Jesus.