Matthew 5:21-26
First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:24b
Click to read passage
Imagine two young children playing happily together. One accidentally steps on the other’s foot. “Ouch! I’m sorry,” the child quickly says. The other pauses for a moment before replying, “I’ll forgive you… but only if you let me pinch you.” We laugh because we instinctively know that isn’t really forgiveness. It is revenge disguised as forgiveness.
Yet adults are often not very different. Sometimes we refuse to forgive until the other person has “paid” enough for hurting us. At other times, we say we have forgiven simply because we want to move on and feel better. But beneath both responses often lies the same problem—an angry heart that has not truly let go.
In today’s passage, Jesus takes us beneath the surface of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” While the religious leaders focused only on the outward act, Jesus exposes the heart behind it. Long before murder is committed with the hands, it begins in the heart through anger, contempt, and resentment.
Jesus warns against harbouring anger and speaking words of contempt such as “Raca” or “You fool.” Such words may seem insignificant compared to murder, but they reveal a heart that is pushing another person away. As John Stott’s commentary on the Sermon on the Mount observes, anger and insults are symptoms of a desire to get rid of someone who stands in our way. Left unchecked, anger does not remain hidden. It spills into our words, deepens division, and damages relationships.
This is why anger is such a dangerous roadblock. As long as we continue nursing resentment, genuine forgiveness becomes impossible. We may say the words, “I forgive you,” but inwardly we are still demanding repayment. Whether we expect an apology, a punishment, or simply wait for the other person to suffer, our anger continues to keep us apart.
That is why Jesus’ next words are so surprising. “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (vv. 23-24). He is showing that worship and relationships cannot be separated. A heart that harbours anger cannot truly honour the God who desires reconciliation. Instead of allowing resentment to grow, Jesus calls us to take the initiative, pursue peace, and seek restoration without delay.
Of course, reconciliation is not always possible. The other person may reject our apology or refuse to forgive. Yet Jesus calls us to do what is within our power—to take the first step rather than waiting for someone else to make the first move.
How can we possibly do this? The answer is found not within ourselves but at the cross. We can seek reconciliation because God first reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. When we were still sinners, Christ did not wait for us to earn His forgiveness or repay our debt. Instead, He bore our sin upon Himself and freely offered us mercy. Because we have received such undeserved grace, we no longer need to cling to anger or insist that others “pay us back.” Remembering God’s forgiveness frees us not merely to feel better, but to become people who pursue peace and restoration.
Perhaps today the Holy Spirit is bringing someone to mind—a strained relationship, an unresolved conflict, or harsh words that have never been addressed. Jesus’ invitation is not merely to suppress anger but to surrender it, and then take the first step toward reconciliation. As those who have been forgiven by Christ, may we become people who reflect His forgiving and reconciling love.
Reflection:
Is there someone with whom I need to take the first step toward reconciliation today? What would it look like to replace anger with the grace that I myself have received in Christ?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for reconciling me to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the anger, resentment, and pride that I often harbour in my heart. Help me not to allow bitterness to grow or divide me from others. Fill me with gratitude for the forgiveness You have freely given me through the cross. Give me the humility and courage to take the first step toward reconciliation where relationships have been broken. May my worship and my relationships both reflect the grace I have received in Christ. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
Click to read passage
Imagine two young children playing happily together. One accidentally steps on the other’s foot. “Ouch! I’m sorry,” the child quickly says. The other pauses for a moment before replying, “I’ll forgive you… but only if you let me pinch you.” We laugh because we instinctively know that isn’t really forgiveness. It is revenge disguised as forgiveness.
Yet adults are often not very different. Sometimes we refuse to forgive until the other person has “paid” enough for hurting us. At other times, we say we have forgiven simply because we want to move on and feel better. But beneath both responses often lies the same problem—an angry heart that has not truly let go.
In today’s passage, Jesus takes us beneath the surface of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.” While the religious leaders focused only on the outward act, Jesus exposes the heart behind it. Long before murder is committed with the hands, it begins in the heart through anger, contempt, and resentment.
Jesus warns against harbouring anger and speaking words of contempt such as “Raca” or “You fool.” Such words may seem insignificant compared to murder, but they reveal a heart that is pushing another person away. As John Stott’s commentary on the Sermon on the Mount observes, anger and insults are symptoms of a desire to get rid of someone who stands in our way. Left unchecked, anger does not remain hidden. It spills into our words, deepens division, and damages relationships.
This is why anger is such a dangerous roadblock. As long as we continue nursing resentment, genuine forgiveness becomes impossible. We may say the words, “I forgive you,” but inwardly we are still demanding repayment. Whether we expect an apology, a punishment, or simply wait for the other person to suffer, our anger continues to keep us apart.
That is why Jesus’ next words are so surprising. “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (vv. 23-24). He is showing that worship and relationships cannot be separated. A heart that harbours anger cannot truly honour the God who desires reconciliation. Instead of allowing resentment to grow, Jesus calls us to take the initiative, pursue peace, and seek restoration without delay.
Of course, reconciliation is not always possible. The other person may reject our apology or refuse to forgive. Yet Jesus calls us to do what is within our power—to take the first step rather than waiting for someone else to make the first move.
How can we possibly do this? The answer is found not within ourselves but at the cross. We can seek reconciliation because God first reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. When we were still sinners, Christ did not wait for us to earn His forgiveness or repay our debt. Instead, He bore our sin upon Himself and freely offered us mercy. Because we have received such undeserved grace, we no longer need to cling to anger or insist that others “pay us back.” Remembering God’s forgiveness frees us not merely to feel better, but to become people who pursue peace and restoration.
Perhaps today the Holy Spirit is bringing someone to mind—a strained relationship, an unresolved conflict, or harsh words that have never been addressed. Jesus’ invitation is not merely to suppress anger but to surrender it, and then take the first step toward reconciliation. As those who have been forgiven by Christ, may we become people who reflect His forgiving and reconciling love.
Reflection:
Is there someone with whom I need to take the first step toward reconciliation today? What would it look like to replace anger with the grace that I myself have received in Christ?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for reconciling me to Yourself through Jesus Christ. Forgive me for the anger, resentment, and pride that I often harbour in my heart. Help me not to allow bitterness to grow or divide me from others. Fill me with gratitude for the forgiveness You have freely given me through the cross. Give me the humility and courage to take the first step toward reconciliation where relationships have been broken. May my worship and my relationships both reflect the grace I have received in Christ. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.