People often seem to think that doing what Jesus says to do is a path to heaven, but not a path to a good life in this world. The ways of Jesus are a challenge, something we do with out eyes on heaven, but not with our eyes on this life, people seem to say. Or the ways of Jesus are a sort of test, seeing if we can do what is difficult in this life so we can be happy in the next, the thinking goes. I think that way of looking at what Jesus says is fundamentally misguided. In fact, doing what Jesus says-- living our lives in accordance with His teacing-- is actually the best way to be happy both in the next life and in this one. Today's Gospel (Mt 5: 20- 26) is a great example of that point. Jesus says we should "settle with (our) opponent quickly on the way to court." As a commercial trial lawyer for 44 years, I can tell you with assurance that what Jesus says is right on. More than 90 percent of civil cases settle somewhere along the way. The system is set up to give folks multiple opportunities, and great incentives, to settle. But rarely are those settlements quick. Usually they are after the parties have incurred substantial expenses (both financial and psychic) in discovery and pretrial motions. People have done their best to beat each other up, and finally they agree to a settlement, often on the eve of trial. Who wins in such situations? Usually the lawyers, whose fees have increased as a result of the pretrial fighting. Who loses? Usually the parties, who would have been better off from a personal perspective with less fighting and a quicker resolution. That's what Jesus says-- settle quickly, get the problem behind you, make your peace so that relationships can be re-established. Disputes should be resolved, not turned into a cause, a career, an identity. I always told client that doing the right thing was the smart thing, because that is how God's law works (ok, I probably didn't put it that way most of the time, but the point remains). God wants us to be happy here, as well in the next life, because God loves us. So God gives us laws that are directed towards our happiness. It may not seem so at the time, but that is abolutely how things work. So Jesus says settle quickly-- get past yourself, get rid of your anger, stop trying to be dominant, come to a reasonable solution and move on-- because that works best. Can people do that? Not many. When I first started to practice law (in 1974) I would look at a case and, straight out of the box, see what a reasonable settlement might be. Say the plaintiff demanded $100,000, and I represented the defendant. The facts were unclear, and would always be a swearing contest. The damages were tought to prove, but a jury could find something there. So the case was worth $50,000, and I would offer that. Never was accepted. People didn't want to settle quickly. They wanted to fight. Folks rarely got more as a result of that, other than more aggravation, although it was probably good for their lawyers. The first case I tried was like that. The damages were $100,000 or nothing, and it was a contract case where liability was disputed. I represented the defendant, and tried to settle quickly for $50,000. No deal. We tried the case to a jury in St. Louis and, big surprise, the jury came back awarding the plaintiff $50,000. When Jesus tells us to behave in a certain way, don't think of that instruction as a difficult path in this life that we take to gain the next. Recognize that Jesus is telling us what is the best way to life here and now. Would a God who loves us do anything different?