10TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled. 

Any Jew who wanted to offer a sacrifice “at the altar” (Matthew 5:24) would have had to travel to the Temple in Jerusalem to do so, no matter where he lived. There were no other altars in Israel. So for most people, turning around and reconciling with someone before making an offering would have required a long round trip. Impractical, yes, but that’s how important Jesus thought it was to reconcile!

Jesus’ words pose a big challenge for us as well. Unresolved differences, past hurts, words spoken in anger—none of these are easily resolved. In fact, unsettled issues between people have a way of festering and worsening over the years. We might even become comfortable with putting them aside and assume that it’s better to leave things as they are. So we ignore them and go on with our everyday lives.

That’s why it’s so important that we remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. If you’ve tried to bury the pain, he might help you to see how sadness or regret might be weighing you down. He might even help you recognize ways your own sin might have contributed to the situation and give you a desire to try and reconcile.

If that happens, pray and ask the Spirit what your next step should be. Should you attempt reconciliation? Or should you leave it at the feet of the Lord for now? If you sense the Spirit leading you to approach the person, you can trust that he will help you find the best way to do it. If you think he is encouraging you to wait, you can trust that he will help you reconcile, in his time and by his means, at some later point. Even if it’s impossible to reconcile, the Spirit can give you peace about the situation as well as a desire to pray for that person.

Remember, Jesus not only desires reconciliation, but he also provides the grace to do it—whether immediately or gradually, in his time and with his guidance.

“Holy Spirit, when one of my relationships is broken, help me know when and how to reconcile.”

2 Corinthians 3:15–4:1, 3-6
Psalm 85:9-14
Matthew 5:20-26