Oct 13 - Matthew 5:25-26

Jesus said,

Come to terms quickly

with your accuser while you

are on the way to court with him,

or your accuser may

hand you over to the judge,

and the judge to the guard,

and you will be thrown into prison.

Truly I tell you, you will never get out

until you have paid the last penny.

Matthew 5:25-26

·       Do not go to court.

·       Do not sue.

·       Do not expect justice or to feel better afterwards.

Those aren't commands ... as if from God on high. They're simply my wisdom and advice from being a pastor for twenty years.

My advice: If you go to court, you lose.

The first loss is usually financial. (It's like gambling. In Las Vegas, a few lucky folks walk away rich from a court battle. But most walk away poorer. In court it’s not fun. And the house always wins.)

The “house,” in this case, is the legal profession. There are many honorable lawyers, but a massive industry is built richly around two sides not being able to compromise or forgive. And in my increasing experience, bigger money usually rigs the system against the little guy … often simply outspending the poor until they give up or give in. And if the house wins, you almost always lose. (And yet there are enough occasional jackpots to keep the little guy gambling.)

Wait.

Buried in that last paragraph was the second way we lose when we go to court. Here's the quote: "a massive industry is built richly on two sides not being able to compromise or forgive."

Too many people expect "justice" (pay back) to make them feel better. Forgiveness is hard, but it's usually forgiveness -- not pay-back -- that helps us move on. That sets us free.

For example, you've been hit by a bus. You want justice ... and a little help with your medical bills. So you sue. Four years later, after subtracting all the legal fees, you might get a few thousand dollars more than you would have gotten in the first place. But look at the cost. For four years, you've been mired in something you could have moved on from years before. For years, you’ve been embattled and embittered against a bus driver (who probably made a simple human error, not unlike the dozens that you make everyday.) For four years, you've poisoned his life. And for four years, you've poisoned your own. Instead of moving forward, you’ve been stuck reliving the past with every call from the lawyer (that costs you another hundred dollars).

Forgiveness is more freeing than bitterness!!!

And the desire for your slim chance at a jackpot (a win at someone else's expense) is not worth years of bitterness and unforgiveness.

Jesus' reasons for not going to court further the advice. What if the non-guilty is declared guilty?! (Settle out of court!)

Yes, work to settle. Strive to compromise. Make it a priority to forgive. That’s how you move forward. That’s how you are set free. And it take trust – the confidence that the God of justice will set the scales right in the end!

In Christ's Love,

a former advertising professional

that the National Bar Association

is not hiring to lead their next

advertising campaign