August 12, 2024 Devo

When you read the Sermon on the Mount, one thing becomes clear. Jesus wants us to take care of disagreements quickly. In the Beatitudes, He talks about the divine nature of “peacemakers.” A few verses later He talks about leaving worship and going to make things right with someone who has something against us. Here we are again in our passage today with Jesus telling us to settle the issue with our “adversary” quickly, lest it snowball into something bigger and more uncontrollable. What is Jesus trying to drive home to us? Probably a few things. Let me highlight two here.
One is that Jesus values relationships over being “right.” Read that sentence again. I promise you that this principle is a struggle for many of us. How many of us have allowed discussions to go to arguments and even escalate to the loss of a relationship because we’d rather be “right” than be reconciled? Or how many married couples have gone to bed angry with each other because it was more important to stand their ground, hold onto their position, or demand their way than be at peace with each other? Sometimes over truly trivial stuff. The heart of the need to be “right” is pride. And that pride is a relationship killer.
One of the other values that Jesus teaches us is taking responsibility. When we fail, we are to admit it. When we mess something up, we are to own it. When we’ve hurt someone’s feelings, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we are to seek forgiveness for it. Notice how Jesus points out in our passage that if we don’t own our part with our adversary, we will ultimately incur the full wrath of judgment. That’s not just true in business dealings, it’s true in relationships. When we don’t take responsibility for our attitudes, actions, and words, people won’t trust us. If we take the even lower road of blaming others for our stuff, people will begin to avoid us.
If you want healthy, God-honoring, Jesus-blessed relationships, then value the people around you more than your rights. When you mess up, ‘fess up. Take responsibility for your shortcomings, and you’ll gain the respect of those around you rather than their despise. Oh yes, and don’t forget that other thing Jesus said. Do it QUICKLY! That’s God’s Word for you today.