Scripture to Read: Matthew 5:23–24
In Matthew 5:23, Jesus says, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you…” Jesus is teaching us what to do when we need to be reconciled with someone. It’s interesting that Jesus speaks of someone who is bringing an offering before the Lord. In other words, the person is seeking the Lord and in worship of the Lord. Anytime we are pursuing our fellowship with our Lord and His Word, it is at those times that we hear the Lord most clearly. The reason we can hear our Lord is because we have laid aside all other distractions and our hearts and souls are focused on worshipping our Lord. Often, in those times of worship, our Lord speaks to us about areas of our lives that we need to surrender to Him. In the case of Matthew 5:23, our Lord reveals to us that we have someone holding something against us. Notice that Jesus does not say that the person bringing their offering before the Lord is the one who has done something wrong and that is why their brother has something against them. Jesus just says that the person in worship remembers that someone has something against them. There will be times when we will have done nothing wrong but because something has been said about us that is false, there will be those who hold that false accusation as accurate and will be upset with us. God wants us to leave our offering and go seek reconciliation. (We’ll unpack more tomorrow.)
Challenge & Application
· Have you ever held something against someone and then found out that they never did or said what you thought? How did you handle it?
· When you’ve been accused of offending someone, how have you handled it?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!