Reconciled
What's in your heart?
‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. 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 or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. - Matthew 5:21-26
It's not just our actions that we will be held accountable for, but also our intentions. What we harbor in our souls and in our hearts can bring us pain.
It makes sense, though. What we intend to do can sometimes be worse than what we actually do. If we set out to hurt someone and we fall short of our intent, are we not just as guilty of evil toward them?
It is one thing if we do not realize that we have hurt someone, but if we know we have left something unresolved, we should try to reconcile, don't you think?
We never know when that unreconciled situation may surface and cause us grief.
In the end, the one who owes can be thrown in prison and then what chance does he have to pay his debt?
The lesson here is all about being honest before God. God wants us to come to Him free of issues with those around us. If we can't live well with one another, how can we claim to be true to God?
So, maybe we should take stock of our relationships and do whatever we can to fix what may be broken, now, while we have the chance.
Who wants to go before the judge with issues unresolved?
More to come...