Curb the Contracts

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” – Matthew 18:19 There were no written contracts in Jesus’ time because ink and paper were exorbitantly expensive. In fact, it’s believed that each of Paul’s epistles cost thousands of dollars to produce, with estimates ranging from $2,000 to $40,000 for just one letter! In the ancient East, the high cost of writing things down necessitated the creation of a new process for creating legal agreements. In Jewish tradition, it was customary to establish a verbal agreement, shake hands, and swear by the Name of God that they would follow their promises to each other. When they invoked the Lord in a contract, they effectively made it a verbal pact. Though I can’t say for sure, I’m betting that the ease with which