Make Peace Before Forgiveness

"So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God." - Matthew 5:23-24

Before Jesus' death, the Jews would sacrifice a lamb or a calf at the temple for the forgiveness of sins. Now, when Jesus came, He radically changed the way the law was practiced because He wanted us to have the law in our heart, instead of just as commandments to follow so that we learn what it really means to follow and love God each day. In His famous Sermon on the Mount, in which He tells us how He wants us to live, He talks about forgiveness and how we need to truly give ourselves up to being open to loving one another. More than just forgiving those that have hurt us, He goes a step further in saying that if you are going to ask God for forgiveness of a sin and you remember that someone has something against you, whether justified or not, whether they forgive you or not, you need to put your sacrifice down and go make peace with that person. Your sacrifice, or your act of asking God forgiveness for your own sins, means nothing to God if at first you do not make amends with those who you have hurt or have hurt you. For us this is a very difficult thing to do, but not impossible. Our God is a just God and justice demands that we forgive and be forgiven if we are to ask mercy of God for our own sins against Him. So if you really want to be in good standing with the Lord in terms of your own faults, then make peace with your neighbors first.

Today's Prayer:
God, it's not easy for me to admit guilt, ask forgiveness, and especially forgive someone who has hurt me, betrayed me and let me down continually. But I trust in You, my Lord, and I know that Your ways are the right ways, so please guide me and help me to do Your will because You know that I can't find it in me at times. In Your Name we pray, Amen.