# Be Ready - Saturday, 2025.11.29 ## 29 - Our Debtors I just finished reading the 66 pages of Texas Property Code dealing with mechanic's, contractor's or materialman's liens. It was a real nail-biter all the way to the end. If you hire a contractor to do work on your property in Texas, I'd highly suggest understanding your requirements as an owner! (I assume most states have similar statutes.) The tl;dr, if a contractor doesn't get paid per the contract, he has a right to put a lien on your property and eventually foreclose if the lien isn't satisfied. WHY IN THE WORLD DID I SPEND SOME OF MY SATURDAY AFTERNOON DOING SUCH A THING you might ask. When someone does something to hurt us (sin against us) according to the Old Testament, we have a right, nay an obligation to put a lien on their life. You may have heard of the "Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, etc. thing." If not, check out Exodus 21:23–25, Leviticus 24:19–20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. BTW, there are a lot more rules about punishments for crimes against ME in the Torah. Unlike the Old Testament where a punishment was proportional to the injury, today, people met out extreme "retaliation" for injuries that didn't happen or were so minor that a simple "sorry" should be sufficient. I believe these two scenarios (OT times and today) are exactly what Jesus addressed numerous times and ways. Not only did Jesus tell us to forgive our debtors (release the lien against the other person) but He also told us resolve the problems WE caused. {Matthew 5.23-24} Texas property statutes detail punishments for failing to follow the rules. Although it could include up to a year in jail, that punishment is inconsequential compared to what Jesus said about failing to forgive. We will talk more about that next week. For those looking for extra credit, check out Matthew 6.14-15 ## Disciple's Prayer & Epilogue So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. {Matthew 6.9-15 (BSB)}