Monday, August 15, 2011

What Jesus Said about Being Good Enough - Anger, Lust, Marriage, Divorce, Part 11 of 34

TEXT: "Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24).

IDEA: Reconciliation with a brother or sister is more important than worship.

PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that broken relationships need to be dealt with.

Have you ever been involved in or witnessed a church fight?

Why do they take place? Do they matter? Why?

The importance of right relationships demands decisive action to get differences settled.

I. Jesus tells one of two parables to point up how urgent reconciliation should be in Matthew 5:23-24.

What is the situation envisioned by Jesus? Where would the altar have been located?

Where did Jesus speak these words?

Jesus pictures someone in Galilee who travels 80 miles to Jerusalem with his "offering." (What would that have been?) This worshiper remembers that a brother has something against him. He leaves his animal at the temple and he makes a round-trip journey of a week or more to Galilee and back in order to reconcile with an offended brother or sister. Then having gotten that settled, he is free to present his offering to God.

What's the point of the illustration?

The importance of right relations demands decisive action. It is more important to get matters settled than worship. Why?

We cannot substitute ceremony or church-going for integrity, purity, and love.

II. Whose responsibility is it to get the matter settled?

Compare this with Mark 11:25: "When you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it."

The person who feels the offense is the one to seek reconciliation.