Passage
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” — Matthew 5:23-24
Reflection
Jesus taught something that sounds a little surprising: if you’re about to do something important for God, but you remember you had a fight with someone and never made it right, stop what you’re doing and go make peace with that person first. That means fixing a fight matters a lot to God, just as much as anything else you do for him.
Sometimes, when we fight with a brother, a sister, or a friend, we wait for the other person to say sorry first. It can feel like if we say it first, we’re admitting we lost. But that’s not what Jesus taught. He taught that taking the first step, even when it’s hard, is exactly the right thing to do.
Saying sorry first doesn’t make you smaller. It makes you like Jesus, who is always willing to come looking for us first to make things right, even before we ask him to.
Prayer
Jesus, help me be brave enough to say sorry first when I fight with someone, even when I don’t feel like it. Thank you that you’re always willing to make things right with me. Amen.