Luke 12:56-59
Luke 12:56 (KJB)
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is
it that ye do not discern this time?
Jesus then turns to them and states bluntly that they have the ability and
understanding to know when it is going to rain, be hot, or have nice weather and
then poses the next question as to why can’t they discern this time? This is
their time of visitation because the prophesied Messiah is now walking among
them and they have no clue as to who He is. Their spiritual blindness has been
caused by the spiritual leaders whose understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures was
lacking. There was such a spiritual darkness over the land that even the
religious leaders could not recognize who Jesus was. It is just like today.
People can discern the weather or discern a good investment yet they cannot
understand that they will not live forever on earth and that life on earth is
only transitory. Instead of preparing for eternal life, they prepare for a
temporary life.
Luke 12:57 (KJB)
Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
There were many in the crowds who saw Jesus heal the sick and deliver many from
indwelling devils and yet they could not understand what those things mean. They
did not need some scribe or Pharisee to explain it to them. When Jesus raised
someone from the dead, who else but God could raise someone from the dead or who
else than God has the power to drive out a devil from a person, taking power
over the kingdom of Satan. It is just like today. How many Christians are
walking around who used to be drunks, or prostitutes, or drug addicts, or even
Mafia hit men and have become Christians and are living lives to the glory of
God and have nothing to do with their former lives except to help those still in
them to come out. (1 Cor 6:9-11 KJV) Know ye not that the unrighteous shall
not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind, {10} Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. {11} And such were some of you:
but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
Luke 12:58 (KJB)
When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way,
give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the
judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into
prison.
According to Roman law, anyone having any type of dispute with another had the
right to have the matter adjudicated before a judge. The wisdom in this verse is
that the one who is guilty, and the guilty party will always know it is them
even if the outside shows differently, they need to try and settle the matter on
the way to the court and once this has been accomplished, then the charges are
dismissed. If the guilty party does not do this, then they are in danger of
having the charges confirmed and if there is a prison sentence for their crime,
then they will go to prison.
Now there is a great spiritual lesson in this verse. The adversary is the law of
God and every human being has broken the law of God meaning that everyone who
appears at the Great White Throne judgment will be cast into eternal hell, which
is represented by the prison. The way we agree with the adversary is to become
saved through the Lord Jesus Christ who fulfilled all the righteous demands of
God’s Holy Law. Then the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer and
they will never have to stand for their sins because Christ paid the penalty in
full.
Luke 12:59 (KJB)
I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last
mite.
Any person who is cast into hell will not be able to come out until all their
sins have been paid for and that means without a Savior to remove their sins,
their sins will be a part of them for eternity which also means there is no
getting out of hell. (Rev 14:11 KJV) And the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship
the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.