As I’ve been going through various bible studies recently, They’ve all touched on a similar theme: forgiving and reconciling. It first popped up a few weeks ago, when I was going through a study on church history. We read the Didache, or The Writings of the Twelve. It was written down as a kind of church manual, for teaching new Christians the basic doctrines, and giving them guidelines in living out the Christian faith. One line stuck out like a sore thumb to me: 14:2-3 “But let not anyone who hath a quarrel with his companion join you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be polluted, for it is that which is spoken of by the Lord. In every place and time offer unto me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King, saith the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the Gentiles.”
My first thought was disbelief! We don’t have that requirement today! But is it to our benefit? I don’t think so, and I’m going to try to explain in a bit.
I also thought of the passage in Matthew 5, where Jesus says that if you’re bringing a gift to the alter and remember that someone has something against you, leave the gift and work things out with them, then come back and offer the gift. This just happened to be a passage we studied in a different bible study a couple weeks later.
The reason Jesus gives for this rule is because unrighteous anger is not to be taken lightly.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 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 5:21-24
That first verse is talking about us being angry at someone because of something they did to us. Let me give a little bit of a disclaimer here: Not all anger is a sin- even Jesus got angry, but his was righteous anger, anger because people were sinning against God. Ours tends to be unrighteous anger, anger when we’re focusing on the sins against ourselves, and not on the sin against God. Going on…
When we have anger against someone, it can lead to us using damaging words towards them- insulting words, words meant to harm. When we continue to act this way towards someone, without bringing the situation to God and seeking a right heart, we can get to a point where we view the other person as worthless. The phrase “you fool” actually has the meaning of ‘morally worthless’. We view them with contempt, and once we’re there, murder could be just around the corner, because in our minds, they have no worth, and don’t deserve to live.
Jesus says because of that potential progression, if you’re worshiping God and realize that there is an issue between you and another person, go and to the best of your ability make it right, then come back and worship. The evil emotions in our hearts pollute our worship to God. Not only to they cause distance and resentment between us and the other person, but they hinder our relationship with God as well.
Remember what the Didache said? If you know someone’s got a quarrel going on with another, don’t let them worship until they figure things out with their companion. That realizes the importance of what Jesus said; but in our church culture today, we don’t do this. Why? I think many don’t realize what’s going on in other people’s lives today- we’re not always connected as we should be, but also we don’t have the same view as Jesus on these kinds of feelings. We seem to view them as the Scribes and Pharisees did: I’m thinking all these bad thoughts, but at least I haven’t killed anyone.
So what about you? Do you have anything against anyone? Like it says in 1 Peter 2: “Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and slander. Like new born infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
If you’re realizing you have been sinning in this way, I encourage you to first confess your sins to the Lord. He is faithful and just to forgive. Pray about what you need to do, for help to forgive the person, and then go seek to make things right. I’ll be praying for you. <3
