What three prerequisites did a next of kin need in order to pay off a family member's mortgage?
A next of kin needed three prerequisites: he had to have the funds and be able; he had to be the next of kin, because a stranger could not do it; and he had to be willing, since no one is forced to help. With all three, he could pay off the mortgage.
In the illustration, a young man facing foreclosure on a mortgage could appeal not to a stranger but to a next of kin, such as a rich uncle. That uncle's three prerequisites were: first, he had to have the funds and be able; second, he had to be the next of kin, since a stranger could not do it; and third, he had to be willing, because no one has to do anything unless he wants to. If he disliked the nephew, he could refuse and say he would not help. But if he had the funds, wanted to help, and was the next of kin, he could say he would pay off the mortgage. The teaching then applies this picture: Jesus comes before God the Father, and the question is who can pay this mortgage.