Till You've Paid the Very Last Mite - Luke 12:59

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, as you are in the way, give diligence that you may be delivered from him; lest he hale you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer cast you into prison”, and in chapter twelve and verse fifty-nine of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “you shall not depart from there, till you have paid the very last mite” where we read:

I tell you, you shall not depart from there, till you have paid the very last mite.

The verse reads, “I tell you, you shall not depart from there, ...” Luke began with the words, “I tell you” or “I, Jesus, speak to, affirm, maintain and teach those listening to Him”, “you shall not depart from there” which means “those listening to Jesus would not leave and go forth from the prison”. Luke shared how Jesus told the people listening to Him they would not be able to leave from the “prison” until the following occurred.

The verse goes on to say, “... till you have paid the very last mite.” Luke continued with the words, “till you have paid” or “until the person found accountable has remitted, paid off and discharged” “the very last mite” which means “the extreme and uttermost small brass coin which was equivalent to the eight part of an as which was worth about one fifth of a cent”. Luke shared how Jesus said the person thrown into “prison” would not be released from there until they “repaid” every thing they owed.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus said there would be a lingering result and consequence for the person adjudicated responsible for their debt. Because there was a great debt to be paid, they would remain in “prison” until they repaid every last cent. God's desire is to have a personal relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him as their “Savior and Lord”, they shall be “forgiven” of every “debt of sin” they have ever committed. Those who are wise will yield their lives to Him and make things right and just with the One in whom we must give account well before we are thrown into a place where our debt shall continually remain.

Next time we begin a new chapter and see Luke share how people tell Jesus, “of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".