Settling out of court

Luke 12:54-59

          I am sure about a great many things. The most important being that God loves me and that he sent His son to save me. But there are some things I am not as certain of. So please indulge me while I seem to go a bit astray here and do some mental meanderings

          I once read a book called Good Goats and from that book I became less certain of the concept of hell that I grew up and believed in. I also began to wonder if there is redemption beyond the grave. Who knows for sure? It's a fascinating topic and I really don't think indulging in some academic discussions about such things is wrong. The fundamental truths of Jesus still stand as does His love for me, for all of us.

          But what if as this reading suggests we should settle our cases out of court so to speak, lest we incur the wrath of the judge who would throw us in jail and make us pay every last penny? In theological terms, we should settle our ignorance, hate and arrogance over our opinions of the Bible and God's love before we die because God might not be so forgiving. The evidence to love is pretty plainly before us. If we are any kind of follower of Christ worth our salt, we believe in unconditional love, especially for the sinner ( which is all of us ) and we should sincerely believe in forgiveness. We can't judge lest we be judged. So before we go off judging everyone or anyone, we better settle up with our professed beliefs before we die. Because if you believe in that kind of God ( the kind like the judge in today's passage ), you will be held strictly accountable for your ways. So before you go off spouting Bible quotations like you wrote it yourself and think you know the intent of the passage, or before you go off spewing hateful words against gays, or Jews or Muslims or Buddhists, take note, this is NOT what God intends. This is NOT why Jesus came to earth, lived, loved, suffered, died and rose for. 

          I don't believe in the God I grew up with, the one who marks down all our mistakes and sins in a big book only to confront us with them when we die. I believe in a loving merciful God who would do, and has done, everything for us. Still, I can plainly see the message Jesus gives us and I am trying, I am really trying to spend my life 'settling up' with my mistakes and sins. I do this not because I will be judged so much as because it is how He has shown us to live.

           

           

He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’