Jesus said that when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. This short lesson holds the key to having peace in your family.
Jesus teaches us that God is a God of Reconciliation. God wants us to have peace in our families, even more than he wants our worship. There is no separating the spiritual from the relational. The Bible is about making peace with God but it is also about making peace with each other.
Two words from Jesus’ instruction are particularly helpful. One word is “go.” Jesus is telling us to take the initiative. Jesus is telling us to be proactive. Things don’t fix themselves. We will have to get up and do something if we want to fix the problems in our families.
The other helpful word from Jesus’ instruction is “first.” Jesus is telling us to make peace in our families before we do anything else. We tend to suffer from the disease of “someday.” Someday we will lose weight. Someday we will get out of debt. Someday I will address the issues in the family. “Someday” becomes “never.” Do it now.
In sermon this Sunday we will talk about how to make peace in your family.