Murder in the Making (Day 7)
Making Things Right
"It is not enough that there is nothing wrong in action between you and another, but in spirit also."
Matthew 5:23-24 (ESV)
"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."
Devotional Thought
This week we've walked through the deadly progression: bitterness ➡️ wrath ➡️ anger ➡️ clamor ➡️ slander ➡️ malice.
It's a dark path that leads to destruction. But Jesus doesn't leave us there.
He shows us a different way. Not just avoiding the negative, but actively pursuing the positive. Not just "don't murder," but "love your neighbor as yourself."
Notice what Jesus says: "If you remember that your brother has something against you..." He's not even talking about when someone hurts you. He's talking about when you've hurt someone else. And His command is radical: stop what you're doing—even if you're in the middle of worshiping God—and go make it right.
This hits different. Jesus is saying that God would rather you interrupt your prayer, leave your offering at the altar, and go fix a broken relationship than continue worshiping with a troubled spirit.
Why? Because you can't be right with God when you're not right with people. You can pray all you want, give all you want, serve all you want, but if your heart is full of anger toward someone, God sees right through it.
Here's the test: Can you pray for the person who hurt you? Can you ask God to bless them? Would you be willing to help them if they needed it? Would you restore them if they fell? Or would you rather see them fail, lose favor, be judged by others?
Jesus says this matters more than our religious activities. There's no value in praying to God when you know in your heart that you're not right with your brother or sister.
But here's the good news: we don't have to stay stuck in this progression. We can choose reconciliation at any point. We can choose to love instead of hate. We can choose to build bridges instead of burning them down.
The urgency is real. Jesus warns us to "come to terms quickly" because unresolved anger doesn't just hurt our human relationships—it disrupts our relationship with God.
It's a dark path that leads to destruction. But Jesus doesn't leave us there.
He shows us a different way. Not just avoiding the negative, but actively pursuing the positive. Not just "don't murder," but "love your neighbor as yourself."
Notice what Jesus says: "If you remember that your brother has something against you..." He's not even talking about when someone hurts you. He's talking about when you've hurt someone else. And His command is radical: stop what you're doing—even if you're in the middle of worshiping God—and go make it right.
This hits different. Jesus is saying that God would rather you interrupt your prayer, leave your offering at the altar, and go fix a broken relationship than continue worshiping with a troubled spirit.
Why? Because you can't be right with God when you're not right with people. You can pray all you want, give all you want, serve all you want, but if your heart is full of anger toward someone, God sees right through it.
Here's the test: Can you pray for the person who hurt you? Can you ask God to bless them? Would you be willing to help them if they needed it? Would you restore them if they fell? Or would you rather see them fail, lose favor, be judged by others?
Jesus says this matters more than our religious activities. There's no value in praying to God when you know in your heart that you're not right with your brother or sister.
But here's the good news: we don't have to stay stuck in this progression. We can choose reconciliation at any point. We can choose to love instead of hate. We can choose to build bridges instead of burning them down.
The urgency is real. Jesus warns us to "come to terms quickly" because unresolved anger doesn't just hurt our human relationships—it disrupts our relationship with God.
Application Questions
- Altar Check: If you were at church right now, ready to worship, would God tell you to leave and go make something right with someone first?
- Prayer Test: Is there someone you can't genuinely pray for and ask God to bless? What does this tell you about the condition of your heart?
- Reconciliation Action: Who do you need to reach out to this week to make things right? What's stopping you from taking that first step?
Today's Challenge
Stop making excuses and take action. Reach out to someone you need to reconcile with. It doesn't have to be perfect—just start. Send a text, make a call, or have a conversation. Choose reconciliation over being right.
Today's Prayer
Father, I don't want to worship You with a heart full of anger toward others. Show me who I need to make things right with, and give me the courage to take the first step. Help me choose love over being right, reconciliation over revenge. I want to be right with You, which means being right with others. Give me wisdom for the conversations I need to have and grace for the people I need to forgive. Amen.
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