“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)
Making an offering of sacrifice at the altar is encouraged by Mosaic Law for seeking fellowship with God. At this point in history, the temple still stood in Jerusalem, and all the Jewish disciples listening to Jesus would have regularly made offerings at the Jerusalem Temple’s altar as a matter of religious observation. But Jesus says there is a priority over the religious observance of sacrifice: making peace with your brother.
It is evident that if you are seeking to be on good terms with God and remember someone has something against you, there is a need for you to stop right in the middle of your observance and put the offering on pause. This dramatic situation shows the premium importance God places on His people seeking harmonious fellowship with one another. These are:
- We must learn to love one another.
- We must forgive each other or be humble enough to ask our brethren for forgiveness for any transgressions we have committed.
This allows us to cultivate unity among the brethren and destroy the spirit of disunity that the devil uses to divide the church. Romans 16:17 states, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” While Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Beloved, our Ministry is more effective when we work together in unity. Teamwork is the key to living life in harmony so that we can do God’s will. To live in unity we need to be transparent with each other. Ephesians 4: 31-32 (NKJV) declares “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you,…And be kind to one another…”.
In evaluating our relationship with our brethren, let us be ready to put away our pride, shame, and arrogance and be ready to live harmoniously. It matters not whether we wronged them or they did us wrong, at the end of the process we both must be reconciled unto God.
Pray
Father God, we have sinned and desire forgiveness for the manner in which we treated our brethren. Your word in Psalm 51:17 states that “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise”. As we come before Your Holy throne in that penitent state we ask You to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and let us be reconciled unto You with purity of mind, spirit and body, in Jesus’ name. Amen!
Read: Matthew 6:15; 2 Corinthians 2:5-8
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 104:31-35; 2 Corinthians 4; Micah 1; Micah 2; Micah 3; Micah 4
