JESUS SPEAKING
Then he also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time. Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right? When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you shall not depart from there till you have paid the very last mite” (Luke 12: 54-59.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
The men and women from this time did not have the weather channel; instead, they had become instinctively capable of predicting the weather by observing very obvious signs. A Cloudy sky meant rain, and a person would find shelter. A hot wind from the south would forecast strong heat; any person working outside, or traveling would bring extra water, perhaps change clothes, or schedule a strenuous task for another day. Jesus reminded the crowds that his arrival as the messiah was a sign to them of impending eternal judgment. Knowing this future, there was an inward change that needed to be made. Those stuck in sin were to admit their sin, repent and give their hearts back to God. Forgiveness in this parable was subject to time restrictions. After a certain time had passed, there would no longer be any deals made, forgiveness bestowed, or any debts removed. Jesus says, make peace ‘along the way’ to the magistrate; this ‘way’ represents the life of every human being, and the magistrate is a symbol of bodily death. From birth to death, every human being has the opportunity to be reconciled with God through his Son Jesus Christ. The money owed represents sin that needs to be forgiven. The judge represents God; and the prison represents hell. As long as a person is still living, they can repent, be forgiven, and no longer be God’s adversary (A person can make peace with God and live eternally.) Those who fight God, who oppose him, who choose to deny him will eventually die, and when that happens, hell awaits. This scripture is a warning, to everyone, to be reconciled and delivered from hell in this life, before the time for forgiveness has passed.
When I was a salesman, one of my clients picked up material without actually paying for it. They claimed that one of their truck drivers had picked up the material and never delivered it to them. According to them, the truck driver then left the state and could not be contacted. The customer, like most people in California at that time, were struggling financially. I went to the courthouse to testify against them in small claims court. The courtroom was full of people awaiting their turn to present their case. After a few initial cases were decided (in which the judge made some rather harsh rulings) the court took a mandatory recess. All opposing parties were ordered to go out in to the hallway and told to open up dialogue with one another, and if possible, to settle the matter themselves. Interestingly, a large number of the people settled their’ disputes in the hallway. After seeing a few court decisions, the fear of impending judgment fostered a change of attitude. Those immovably opposed had become willing to make peace. [Side Note: In the hallway, my client offered to settle with our company for less than the total value of the material’s they had taken. My ‘accounts-receivable’ woman refused, and we headed back in to the courtroom. As we stood before the judge, it became known that the woman was lying; the judge however, demanded more proof than what we brought forward. I told him that they had admitted to not being able to pay the bill, and that out in the hallway they admitted it again and attempted to settle the dispute. “The judge promptly replied, “You can’t mention that in here.” I was dumfounded, and we lost the case for lack of evidence.]
There are many reasons for living in rebellion toward God. One of the most common is lack of faith in what God has said is coming (both heaven, and hell.) Many people don’t truly believe that when they die they will go before God to give an account of all of their sins. They don’t believe in life after death, or they aren’t quite sure; many even attend church, or profess a faith in God, but their lives are filled with all kinds of evil that indicate they have seen the clouds but don’t believe rain is coming. They have heard Jesus, and what he has said, but their unchanged lives reveal their true beliefs or disbeliefs rather. Jesus Christ did not signal just a future judgment, but a way to avoid that judgment; there is a paradise, and the way to it is through the Son of God. God sent a messenger; he extended his hand in an attempt to make peace with those who were, and are opposed to Him. Have you accepted his offer? Have you made peace with God through His Son? Have you chosen a new life; a life filled with a heart of love, and a Spirit of compassion; a life that is no longer lived in opposition to the will of God, but in submission to His word, and to His truth? [If yes, continue on in your journey, if no, sit down and ask God in to your life and in to your heart. Then, make the changes in your life that need to be made in accordance with the new heart you will receive. Get familiar with his word daily, and make prayer, and love new words in your vocabulary. You have a new hope, a new future, and a new life with God.]
“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You now and we ask and pray that You come in to our lives and hearts. Help us to be transformed, and if there are areas of our lives where we are still in rebellion, we ask that you help us to submit those things to You now. You are our Father, You are our teacher, You are our leader, and we ask that You lead us now Lord. We love You, we thank You, and we praise You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.” God bless all of you.
Jesus Speaks 