Season 3 Podcast 256 The Uttermost Farthing Pt I
Season 3 Podcast 256 The Uttermost Farthing Pt I
Christ taught in parables. He loved analogy. John the Revelator frequently used figurative analogy which makes the Book of Revelation sometimes very difficult to understand. The Savior appeared to prefer literal analogies, comparing the gospel to everyday things. For example,
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Matthew 6:28-30)
What is so profoundly significant about Christ’s homespun analogies is that Jesus Christ is the creator of the world. John tells us,
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
An analogy compares two things that are basically unlike but have similar characteristics. It is one of the most powerful teaching tools we have. Arthur Koestler in his phenomenal book, The Act of Creation, talks about the power of analogy in helping us discover new things. For example, as one examines the similarities and differences of two things, it often sparks an original idea not necessarily contained in the original comparison. It was reputed that Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin, came up with the idea of how to separate the seeds from the strong cotton fibers when he saw a cat reaching his paw through the chicken wire trying to catch a chicken. All he brought back was a paw full of feathers. It is that magic moment when two familiar things come together to form something new. Many inventions have been inspired by nature.
But, considering that Christ is the creator of the earth, there is a deeper meaning in his analogies. With each analogy or parable or comparison he not only teaches us a point of doctrine, he teaches us that he built into his creation the mysteries of heaven and placed them on earth for us to find them. Sometimes we focus our eyes on heaven looking for the Second Coming of Christ, when we would better perhaps focus our eyes upon his creations to understand the nature of Christ and the mysteries of heaven. They are living witnesses. The earth as well as the celestial bodies are a constant reminder of Christ our creator. We take the sacrament each Sabbath to help us remember the blood of Christ that was shed for our sins and the body of Christ that was crucified for our sins. We also remember that Christ was resurrected and came forth from the tomb. Everyday becomes a sabbath day, a witness of Christ as we walk among the creations of Christ in remembrance of him.
But in this podcast and the one that follows I want to select a singular analogy that has intrigued me for a very long time. I cannot seem to let it go. It is the analogy of the farthing. In the Sermon on the Mount Christ said,
“Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.” (Matthew 5:25-26)
First of all the Savior is asking us to avoid contention. How much evil has come to good people because in a fit of understandable anger they lash out and injure someone, sometimes even killing them in their fit of uncontrolled passion. Revenge, regardless of cause, is not acceptable to God.
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