Be Reconciled
Verse of the Day
“So, what if you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you? Leave your gift there and go make peace with that person. Then come and offer your gift.
“If anyone wants to take you to court, make friends with them quickly. Try to do that before you get to the court. If you don’t, they might hand you over to the judge. And the judge will hand you over to a guard, who will throw you into jail.’”
Matthew 5:23–25 ERV
Lesson of the Day
Jesus commands us to be reconciled. That’s a heavy one to sit with, especially right after the law lesson — because Jesus is raising the bar again. It’s not enough to not murder, now you can’t even offer your gift at the altar while there’s a rift between you and somebody. He’s saying worship and relationships can’t be separated, that reconciliation comes first.
In the Bible, reconciliation is the restoration of a broken relationship, turning hostility and separation into peace, harmony, and friendship. This shows how important relationships are to Jesus Christ.
As humans, we often disagree with each other, get into our feelings, and have conflicts. Even the closest of friendships can fall out from a disagreement. Here’s what Jesus is saying though: fix it. No matter what we argue about, no matter what is done wrong, fix it. He wants us to do everything in our power to fix it. What if you were the one wronged? Fix it. What if someone really hurt your feelings? Fix it. What if you are betrayed? Take the step you can toward peace, even if the other person hurt you.
What if they won’t be reconciled? That’s where most of us get stuck. Jesus just says make your move and leave the rest to God. Your part is the going, not the forgiving-them-for-you part… actually even the forgiving is your part, but the outcome is God’s.
If you sincerely apologize and try to right the wrong but they still won’t forgive, you have done what you can. You can’t choose their response for them. All we have to do is try our best to make things right.
Encouragement
When my mother died, I left my sister’s name out of the obituary. My father had a child with my mother’s sister, and I didn’t want that painful part of my mother’s story brought into her obituary. My sister was hurt and stopped speaking to me. I was grieving, and I wished she could understand my choice.
But I loved my sister more than I needed her to agree with me. I apologized for hurting her and made another obituary for her. I couldn’t change what had happened in our family, but I could take a step toward making peace with someone I love.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Words are so true and so helpful. Everything that You tell us is for our good. You are the perfect Father. Thank You for wanting us to be happy and free. We get it now. We understand Your laws are made for our good. As we continue to study them, give us wisdom and guidance. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.