Last Penny

Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites!

You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? “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 12:54-59)

Are the seas rising?  Are the glaciers melting?  Are storms becoming more frequent and severe?  Is climate changing and causing major flooding, fires, and hurricanes? Is the Gulf Stream slowing down?  Isn’t a cloud rising in the west? Isn’t the wind blowing from the south?  

The answers to these questions are “yes,” although a large percentage of the U.S. population continues to say “no.”  I’m in the former camp, and so is Pope Francis with his expressed concern for our environment – God’s creation.  

Why do we not judge for ourselves what is right using the evidence at hand.  Part of the answer is our refusal to believe what is inconsistent with what we want to believe. 

We read: “Your opponent [our stubborn refusal to believe] 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."  That last penny stands for our stupidity we must relinquish.  Penny-pinchers refuse to be informed and to face the facts.  They would rather face the dirge music we hear when imprisoned by stupidity and close-mindedness.

Deacon David Pierce