The law was our custodian until Christ came

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The Law

How many of us actually read legal documents in their entirety prior to signing them? I wonder if it was the original intent that legal documents and laws be so complex that the average citizen could not comprehend or understand precisely what they were signing. Or perhaps, institutions have intentionally made the documents so complicated in an effort to cover themselves and line their pockets at the expense of the average consumer.

Deuteronomy 1:16, NIV

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.

You would think that the government would set restrictions on the length and complexity of all legally binding documents. Honestly, if a person borrows money from the bank to buy a house and the legal document says, if you don’t pay your mortgage for three months in a row, then we will own your house, everybody would understand that. I am confident we all have better things to do with our time than write or read page after page of legal jargon intended to cheat our brother’s and sister’s out the almighty dollar.

After all, it’s just a game, people.

Matthew 18, NIV

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

If I were in charge, legal documents would be no more than 1 page – 10 pages depending on the type of transaction involved. And if you can’t make your stipulations in that amount of space, then you can’t participate in society. In addition, people would be required to try to work things out between themselves first before going to a mediator, unless physical abuse with involved. A mediator would decide when things couldn’t be worked out peacfully, and that would be the end of it.

It would free up so much time and money for everybody.

What are your thoughts on legal documents and the law? How do you prefer to work things out in circumstances of conflict.