Matthew 5:21-26 (ESV)
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You
shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say
to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment;
whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says,
‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So 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. 25 Come to terms quickly with
your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you
over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26
Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
If you have a brother or sister, you probably fought or
fight with them in some way. I have two brothers, and when we were younger we
fought at times. But in the end we were the best of friends.
As funny as sibling rivalries can be, in life there are
many people that we get so mad at we begin to hate them. Eventually, we could
lose a friendship that should have never been lost. Jesus says in Matthew 5,
‘anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment’. In
God’s eyes, it’s no different than murdering them! Hating someone is wishing
them the worst. If you’re holding hatred towards another, you need to do
everything you can to put a stop to it. Pray for your heart to change, pray for
peace between you and them, and start working toward loving them once more.
Even if they don’t change their ways, make a point to change yours. Who knows?
One day, you might lead them to know Jesus (or keep a believer from falling
away)!
Are you holding hatred toward another person? It happens
all too often! If this is the case, think of that person and why you’re angry
at them. Start praying for a change in your heart. Remember the 7th Beatitude:
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’. Make
peace with your enemy; they should be your friend, one you can call brother or
sister!
Dear Lord, help us to realize if we are holding anger
toward anyone. If we are, help us to make peace with them. Help us to love
unconditionally, as You do for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment