Settle Out of Court

Luke 12:58 When you are on the way to court with your accuser, try to settle the matter before you get there. Otherwise, your accuser may drag you before the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, who will throw you into prison.

The legal system is an important part of civilized society. Modern scientific psychology has yet to find a way to make all people obey the law all the time. So, there must be consequences, and there must be as fair a way as possible to ensure the right people pay the consequences for their wrong actions. As imperfect as our legal system is, we are far better off with it than we would be without one.

Sometimes issues arise between people that they are unable to work out on their own, so civil law was developed to provide an impartial judge to attempt to decide between parties. In Jesus’ day there was an overlap between the civil and criminal justice system. That is why the verse above implies a civil case can lead to what we would consider criminal punishment. Can you imagine being sued by your neighbor for property encroachment, losing the case, then getting thrown into prison for ten years?

Although the justice system that provides the background for Jesus’ words has changed, the principle remains the same. Civil suits may no longer result in literal imprisonment behind bars, but they do lead to a different kind of imprisonment that is equally painful. The modern American legal process is very expensive financially. It is also engenders a competition in which there are winners and losers. Far more than the Super Bowl or NCAA Final Four, the losers tend to suffer lifelong emotional pain. What often starts as a small disagreement becomes a major battle as the costs mount, depositions are gathered, former friends are asked to write statements criticizing character and conduct, appeals go on for years, and reconciliation becomes unimaginable. In the end, even the winners usually lose. Although there may be financial recompense and a short-lived euphoria from “the win,” a formerly valued relationship is ripped beyond repair with the fallout extending to all those who knew the parties involved. Long term bitterness, depression, and broken relationships are the real prison.

Rather than falling into the “win at any cost” mentality that seems to dominate those going to court, work it out beforehand. You may not “win” all that you could monetarily, but reconciling important relationships is far more valuable.