Be Not Hasty

For Friday, August 31, 2007
Proverbs 25:7b-10

What your eyes have seen
8 do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.

This counsel is similar to that of Jesus' in Matthew 18:15: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."

Being quick to bring a charge against your neighbor whether in court or to anyone else is foolish for several reasons. For one, you may be wrong in your charge. You did not see what you thought you saw. You did not know the extenuating circumstances. As a result, you are guilty of bringing false charges and losing the trust and goodwill of your neighbor and those whom you told. Another reason, and the one which Jesus points out, is that you should give your neighbor opportunity to repent. By going to him privately, you provide a way for him to confess his sin and deal with it appropriately, so that he becomes grateful to you. Not only do you help him to repent, but you win your neighbor over to be a brother or sister.

Being quick to bring charges demonstrates a spirit contrary to Galatians 6:1: "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness." There may be a time for charges to be presented, but we should not be hasty to get to them. And then, there are times in which we should overlook what we see. We should not overlook crime, but as weak sinners we would do well to show sympathy and commit our fellow sinners to prayer and to God's dealings. Galatians 6:7 says, "God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." No one is getting away with anything.

Let us be thankful that Jesus, who easily could have brought charges against us, became instead our Redeemer and is now our Advocate against the evil one who does bring charges. Let us learn from him the spirit of mercy.