LifeLink Devotions for Wednesday, January 8, 2025

We left off yesterday after learning that Jesus demands reconciliation to others before He accepts our acts of worship. We discovered that truth in Matthew 5:23-24where Jesus says,  “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Prior to teaching this truth, Jesus had spoken about the relationship between thoughts and actions. He said murder makes us subject to judgment, and then states that anger expressed in sinful behavior to another person makes us subject to the same judgment as murder. After telling us that the attitudes of our heart are equally significant to our actions, he reveals the truth about our responsibility to reconcile to those with bad attitudes towards us.  If you know that your brother feels this way towards you – that he has something against you that is causing him to act sinfully towards you, you are responsible to go to him and make it right before you come and worship God. It is arrogant to come before God and worship when we know that someone else is in danger of God’s judgment because of how they feel about us. Jesus says that until we are right with one another God does not want our offerings of worship.

There is yet another lesson here. We are told to “go and be reconciled to your brother.” Jesus does not say to go and attempt to be reconciled. We are not let off the hook just because we claim to have tried our best. That may apply to a person who does not know Jesus Christ and is not our brother, but it doesn’t apply to brothers in Christ. There is never to be an unreconciled relationship in the body of Christ.

Sound idealistic? Yes, but maybe that’s because we haven’t really taken the words of Jesus seriously enough. Maybe it’s because we are still participating in the blame game. Maybe it’s because we believe Jesus excuses our human weakness and doesn’t really expect His words to be considered as absolute truth. Maybe it’s because we just don’t want to try. Whatever the reason, I believe Jesus intends for His body, the church, to be the living example of people who are reconciled to God by modeling true reconciliation with each other.

I can’t tell you when it happened, or even how it happened, but one day I received a phone call from my brother that proved it had happened. You remember the story from yesterday about the fights I would have with this brother, right? I was finishing my first year of college and he was preparing to graduate from high school. He called to ask if he could be my roommate in the dorm for the next year. We were reconciled. I wish I could tell you the exact steps we took to get that way, but I can’t. But I can tell you about forgiveness, and I’ll do that tomorrow. For today, take a fresh look at your broken relationships. Eliminate the need to place blame. Initiate contact. Go and be reconciled. It is your responsibility before God.

Pastor John