Matthew 5:25
“Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison.”
BEREAN.AI
Title: Settle the Matter Quickly
Scripture: Matthew 5:25
Jesus is still pressing the sixth commandment. Anger makes us murderers in the heart, and murderers get dragged to court. So he gives practical advice: if you remember that someone has something against you, go to him. If you fail and he hauls you before the judge, settle the accusation while you are still on the way. Once the verdict is read, the sentence will be carried out and you will not get another chance.
We usually flip the verse and think, “If I have something against him, I should go.” Jesus says the opposite: “If he has something against you.” That means you swallow your pride even when you think you are right. The issue is not who started it; the issue is that wrath is boiling and you must stop it before God stops you.
This is not just marriage counseling or workplace wisdom. Jesus is warning about the final courtroom. Every unresolved quarrel is a flashing sign that says, “You still do not understand grace.” If you cling to your position and refuse to be reconciled, you are proving that you would rather defend yourself than receive mercy. People who refuse mercy now should not expect it then.
So the command is simple. Phone the brother. Drive to the neighbor. Admit where you were wrong. Pay the bill. Return the tool. Say, “I was harsh. Will you forgive me?” Do it today, before bedtime, before the sun goes down. The longer you wait, the harder your heart becomes, and the more the story grows in the other person’s mind.
Some of you say, “But I tried and he would not listen.” Jesus does not tell you to succeed; he tells you to go. Leave the results with God and keep a soft heart. Others say, “If I apologize, he will take advantage of me.” Better to lose money than to lose your soul. The gospel is not a strategy for winning arguments; it is the power that frees you from needing to win.
Prayer: Lord, make us quick to seek peace and slow to defend our pride. Show us today who needs a call, a text, or a visit. Give us the humility to own our part and the courage to speak first, because we trust the verdict you pronounced over us at the cross. Amen.
