New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 5:26

The Sermon on the Mount

Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:26 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 5:26, in plain English

Jesus warns: you won't get out until you've paid every last cent. Unresolved conflict has a way of costing more than you ever imagined.

Why it's here

This isn't about being afraid of God. It's about being wise. Deal with conflict early, because the longer you wait, the higher the cost.

Who's speaking

Jesus concludes His teaching on reconciliation with a warning.

Where it sits in the story

Justice is thorough. God takes broken relationships seriously, and so should we.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The warning about paying 'the last penny' (ton eschaton kodrantin, a Roman coin worth 1/64 of a denarius, the smallest possible amount) emphasizes the thoroughness of judgment for those who refuse reconciliation.

Language and setting

The kodrantes (Latin quadrans) was the smallest Roman coin in circulation, emphasizing that justice demands full repayment without exception.

Voice

Jesus, concluding the reconciliation teaching.

Significance

Jesus warns that unresolved conflict has consequences that compound over time, whether in human courts or before God.

In context

Matthew 5:24–28

24leave your gift there before the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

25Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison.

26Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’

28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Read all of Matthew 5 — Jesus turns the world's values upside down. The blessed aren't the powerful — they're the poor in spirit, the grieving, the meek.

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