Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today. (The form is at the bottom of the page).

The Last – Day 18

Matthew 5:26

Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

The Thought

Jesus was talking to crowds of people on the mountain, and explaining to them how to avoid trouble! The key to this teaching is a few verses earlier when Jesus said: I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be judged (Matthew 5:22).

This can be a disturbing verse when we think of the number of people who have family disputes. Sadly, too many families have had long lasting arguments with other family members, very often over inheritance issues.

Jesus advised His listeners to settle disputes out of court (v25), because earthly judges are capable of making heartless decisions, and many of us know that settling things the world’s way can be very expensive. Jesus is advising us that any judge could make us pay back every penny that we owe, whether we are rich or poor! Earthly judges can be heartless!

Sadly many of us know of at least one family where there is one member who does not have a good relationship with another, whether because of inheritance issues or marriage breakups. In my limited experience, this is much more common with richer families than with poorer ones.

It reminds me of the story Jesus told of the rich young ruler (Luke 18:23).

In Genesis 14 we read the interesting story of Abraham winning a battle then meeting Melchizedek, king of Salem. Abraham gave this king a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:20). That is the origin of many churches recommending the giving of a tithe by their congregations.

Action

Read Luke 18 and/or Genesis 14 today, and look seriously at your own finances. Think about relationships within your family, and pray as The Lord leads you.

For a full list of online studies available on this site, please click here.

If there is a subject you would like to see on this site, please use the comment section below or drop us an email (there’s a link at the very top of the page). We can’t promise to cover them all, and our studies are usually prepared a month or two in advance, so please be patient.

For a full list of physical resources available through this site, please click here.