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“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to
go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle
the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over
to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the
constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be
released until you have paid the last penny.” Luke 12:57–59
The Church Fathers offer many different interpretations of this
passage. Among them, Saint Bede says that our “opponent” can be
seen as the Word of God, in the sense that the Word of God makes
war upon our weaknesses and sins. When we listen to the Word of
God, our Lord will convict us of our faults so that we can
reconcile our lives with the Truth of the Word of God
Himself.
When you think about God’s holy Word, in its entirety, what most
convicts you? Sometimes we try to downplay such personal
convictions. We rationalize our actions and dismiss what God is
saying to us. Are there any teachings of Jesus that you recall that
have truly stung you to the heart? If so, this is a grace, and it’s
an opportunity to fulfill the lesson from our Lord taught in the
passage above. God does not convict our hearts so as to condemn us.
Rather, He convicts us, as an opponent to our sin, so that we can
“make an effort to settle the matter on the way.” The conscience is
a wonderful gift from our Lord and can be likened to this passage
above. It is a form of courtroom where our Lord desires not to have
to issue punishment upon us. Instead, He desires that we engage His
holy Word, listen to what He says, and settle our sin by repenting
immediately.
Among the many lessons taught by our Lord, it is often the lesson
that jumps out at us, even in a startling way, that we need to pay
attention to the most. God often brings His most urgent teachings
to us by causing us to feel a sense of guilt that cannot be denied.
If we listen to these convictions, then we will not have any need
to stand before the Judge. But if we do not, if we bury these
convictions, downplay them and ignore them, then our Lord will find
it necessary to keep at us. We will begin to experience His
judgment, and we will see the effects of being out of His good
graces. And in the end, if we fail to repent of the more serious
sins in our lives, then we will even be held accountable for the
smallest of sins. We will be required to “pay the last
penny.”
Reflect, today, upon the idea that the Word of God, all that our
Lord has taught us, is the opponent to the sin in your soul. This
good and holy opponent wants only what is best for you. Commit
yourself to an ongoing reading of God’s holy Word so that you will
be continually disposed to hear all that God wants to say to you
and so that you will be able to reconcile with our Lord before He
is compelled to issue forth His judgments.
My most merciful Judge, You desire that I listen to Your holy
Word, revealed through Scripture, so as to receive Your most
merciful conviction of my sin. I pray that I will be open to always
hear all that You desire to say to me so that I can respond with
generosity and trust, reconciling with You and others continually
through my journey in life. Enliven my conscience with Your holy
Word, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.
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