Matthew 5.25-26,
Luke 12.57-59.
In the scriptures, sins against others tend to be compared with debts. “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
Y’see, if you borrowed money and didn’t pay it back when you agreed to, the ancients had the attitude that you never did mean to pay it back. You deceived your creditor into giving you money. You committed fraud; that’s a sin.
In some countries, like the Roman Empire, government officials would frequently buy you. ’Cause the Romans had tons of civic projects to work on. They built impressive stuff, and built it to last; lots of it is still standing. They’d build roads, aqueducts, amphitheaters, harbors, public toilets, public baths; anything they figured might bring Roman civilization to the public. Stuff that’d remind them it was good to live under Roman rule. The crucifixions alongside all the main roads would remind them it wasn’t so good to defy it.
And when I say “they built impressive stuff,” I mean Roman slaves built it. Then at night, they’d lock these slaves in prison lest they run away.
That is the historical background to what Jesus is talking about in this teaching from
Matthew 5.25-26 KWL 25 “Be reconciled with your opponent quickly- while you’re still on the road to court,
- lest they hand you over to the judge,
- the judge hand you over to his servant,
- and you will be thrown into prison.
26 Amen! I promise you:- You’re not coming out of there
- till you’ve paid the last quadrans.”
Luke 12.57-59 KWL 57 “Why can’t you judge what’s right on your own?58 For while you go with your opponent to the ruler,- while you’re still on the road to court,
- make an effort to settle things between you,
- lest they drag you before the judge,
- the judge hand you over to the bailiff,
- and the bailiff will throw you into prison.
59 I tell you:- You may never come out of there
- till you’ve paid the last lepton.”
In case you were curious: A lepton was the smallest Greek coin, a quadrans was the smallest Roman coin, and Mark says a quadrans was worth two lepta.
Debtors’ prisons… and today.
Our culture is far removed from Jesus’s. But not all that far. Two hundred fifty years ago, when the future United States were still British colonies, the Brits still sent people to prison for debt. We still describe felons as “working off their debt to society.” Back then, a number of those felons were actually working off their debt to individuals.
The colony of Georgia was founded in 1732 by Gen. James Oglethorpe as a haven for “the worthy poor,” debtors who wanted to avoid prison and work off their debts working for Oglethorpe and his trustees. (Yeah, rumor has it Georgia was founded as a prison colony, but that’d be Australia.) Oglethorpe’s plan failed, and the colony instead became a crown colony in 1755. But he was one of many who wanted humane alternatives to debtor’s prisons, although such prisons still existed in the States until 1849. Bankruptcy laws then made it possible for people to avoid prison by working out terms of repayment. Though arguably there are still people who are imprisoned for unpaid debts—namely, people who can’t afford to pay bail or a fine, and are forced to stay in jail; or people who are imprisoned for not paying criminal fines, child support, or taxes.
For the rest of us, most debts are owed to faceless financial institutions. The worst they’re now allowed to do is repossess our property, garnish our wages, and make it impossible to borrow any more money. But not that impossible, ’cause anybody can still get a payday loan. (Not that it’s wise to; the interest is outrageous.)
But back to Jesus’s day: Debts could put you in slavery or prison. So debt was a very big deal. You never wanted to get on the bad side of your creditors. They could do horrible things to you:
Matthew 18.32-34 NKJV 32 “Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.”
Some bibles translate
And we all know the Romans had no trouble with torture. Most ancient governments didn’t. No human rights, y’know. Guilty till proven innocent. If you were one of their slaves, they didn’t bother to see which crime had put you into slavery; you could owe 100 denarii,
So yeah, Jesus isn’t talking about a minor quibble. He’s talking about a potentially life-ending catastrophe. If your creditors are so annoyed with you they’re dragging you to court, you need to work this out now. Before you get into the courtroom and stand before the judge—who, in those days, wasn’t at all what we’d call a judge; he’d be some Roman procurator who saw court cases as an annoyance, who’d wanna wrap things up as quickly as possible, and didn’t care whether he judged fairly or rightly or even lawfully; he just wanted to be done.
Oh, and if you bribed him, ’cause they loved bribes: Definitely not gonna be fair, right, or lawful. And as a debtor it’s likely you wouldn’t have the money for a good, effectual bribe… but your creditor might.
In Jesus’s teaching, he makes the assumption you’re guilty—or at least the judge would rule in favor of your opponent, fairly or not. Therefore he instructs his hearers to work things out with our opponents. Now. Before officials get involved. Even if it’s a last-second negotiation on the way to court,
Because things can still escalate quickly.
Too often people, including Christians, don’t make peace with our enemies… because we figure it’s not our fault they’re enemies. “I haven’t done anything wrong,” or “What I did wasn’t that wrong; they’re blowing it way out of proportion.” We defend ourselves. We presume we’re in the right, or at least more in the right than our enemies believe. We go through all sorts of self-justifying convolutions to tell ourselves we’re right.
Same as the self-righteous person who brings a gift to God’s altar,
Wrong. The apostles tell us as much as we can, we’re to live at peace with others.
Because if we don’t make things right with others, and they get vengeful, and figure out how to work our corrupt system in ways that’ll really ruin our lives… well they might do just that. Then where are we?
So examine your life. Is there anyone you hold a grudge against? Forgive them immediately. Is there anyone who might hold a grudge against you? Track them down and make it right. Apologize if you have to. Pay them back if you need to. Restore that relationship.
Restore it before it becomes something destructive and wasting, and even gets in the way of your growth as a Christian.
