In this section of Matthew 5, Jesus is talking about our relationships with one another, first how anger is akin to murder, but then continues with a brotherly relationship, keeping those bridges built. Now Jesus turns to our adversary, the one who is not our brother, but the person who quickly accuses us, maybe for their own gain. Maybe we owe a debt, or it was a misunderstanding.

²⁵ Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; least at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. ²⁶ Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Matthew 5:25-26

Our mandate is clear, we must agree with them, agree that we were in the wrong. This is a huge way to de-escalate any type of quick judgement. I am wrong, I’m a sinner, who is redeemed, but I still do wrong things. This goes back to vs.5 Blessed are the meek. To be meek, we must be humble, and first realize we are wrong. Why would an adversary need to take you to a judge if you admit guilt, repent, and seek to reconcile the situation.

We are to be quick to seek forgiveness. But we must also reconcile with intent to make good, I think that is the idea in vs 26. For context we need to understand why people were put into prison in Jesus’s time. Up until the early part of the 19th century, containment in prison was mostly for debtors. People who owed money, they could not pay. Sometimes these places were called work houses, but the idea was the same, you worked off your debt.

Debt is a serious thing, be it money, or be it anything that can bring conflict between people. First be willing to loose all for reconciliation. If It means I must walk away without a shirt on my back, be it so, that there will be peace with all men. This is so against the ideas of this fallen world, where it tells us to keep all we can. Accumulate through debt, and seek protection from courts in the form of bankruptcy (this never existed in Jesus time).

I once had a client who paid me upfront for a job, I estimated the job would take me a certain number of hours, and it took a little longer, but it was ok. The problem was, the client was not happy with the outcome, even though I followed the directions to a tee. I took the time to do it again, and the customer returned to me and found they wanted something else, so I tried to accommodate, all on my time. There was finally a point where I told them it was costing me too much time, I couldn’t comply. They were not happy, since they paid me up front. I returned all the money, hoping they could find someone else to do their biddings.

In this example, I lost, but I was able to make peace with the situation, to reconcile the customer back to where they were before I worked for them. There are always people who won’t be happy with the results they seek. In this fallen world, people are looking for happiness, but they often blame the other person for why they aren’t happy. As Christians, we are to comply with these people, even if it’s unjust. My happiness is in Christ, I am blessed! Not because of what I have or what I do, but it’s because of who Christ sees me to be.

I need to trust the Lord will take care of every event in my life, be it good or evil, that He will use it for His Glory, not mine.

Lord, help me trust you, that everything I have, it’s yours, and you can take it when you want. May I trust in your eternal plan, that I might be meek and moldable to your will in my life.

Picture by unsplash-logoChris Liverani