Thursday 14th March
Matthew 5:25-26
“‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” (NIVUK)
There is a real sense in which the practical logic of Jesus’ suggestion is to settle, even at a loss, because the consequences of maintaining your anger and rights may bankrupt you completely and imprison you. It calls to mind Pascal’s famous wager which is not dissimilar in approach – simple self-interest should prompt a change in behaviour.
Pascal suggested that although one can’t rationally prove the existence of God, that is not reason enough to not live as though God exists. He asks those reading his musings to accept the premise that either God exists, or He doesn’t and this state of uncertainty is real for everyone. If we accept this premise we can either live as though He does, or live as though He doesn’t, and there are consequences that flow from each decision.
If we live as though He does exist and we are right we have gained eternity. If we live as though He doesn’t and are right, we have lost nothing. If we live as though He does exist and are wrong, we have also lost nothing. But if we live as though He doesn’t and are wrong, we are damned forever. On balance then it is logical to live as though He does because the rewards far outweigh the risks. To live as though He does not exist and be wrong comes with considerable costs.
Jesus suggests here in His sermon that there is an urgency to repairing relationships, even if you are disadvantaged, because the price of being ‘right’ and holding on to your petty grudges is incredibly foolish to pay. It also has similarities with the common biblical position that decisions should be viewed from eternal, long-term, perspectives. Have you stepped back far enough to consider your actions logically and clearly?
