The Hard Work

When we start looking for some of the truly hard passages in the Scripture, one which always grabs its share of attention is found in the 5th chapter of Matthew.  Of course, Matthew 5 begins what is known as the Sermon on the Mount.  And while there is not much about the Sermon on the Mount which brings easy to mind, the section beginning in verse 21 of chapter 5 is one of the tough ones for most of us.  What makes it so tough is that it is a teaching on reconciliation and reconciliation is one thing which causes most of us more trouble than we want to admit.

 

The passage is fairly simple.  As we read, we hear Jesus saying, "So 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 and sister, and then come and offer your gift."  What is most troubling about this Word is that blame has no place.  In fact, to seriously consider what Jesus is teaching is to realize that determining who is at fault is not the issue.  Of course, who is at fault has always been the issue for us.  If someone wrongs us, or hurts us, the first step should belong to them.  Is that not how it works?

 

Well, maybe it works that way for those who do not speak of following Jesus, but it can never  be that way for those who profess faith in the way of Christ.  To get the teaching is to understand that reconciliation is more important than placing blame, being right, or not being perceived as a doormat.  If we realize that there is something broken in a relationship with another, then following Jesus means doing everything we can do to restore the brokenness.  There is no other option for the believer who desires to be faithful to the Christ.