A friend of yours is having big trouble with his attitude toward God. He’s so distant from Him that he’s stopped attending worship service. He’s stopped participating in the downtown street feed, something he’d done faithfully for years. He’s withdrawn from his friend groups and has been isolating. His isolation is brooding, unhealthy, pessimistic, suspecting that God has changed His mind about him and now has it in for him. He confides that it’s been months since he spent devotion time praying and perusing the Scriptures.
Eventually, your friend lashes out at you, “You’re an idiot!“
“Where did that come from?” you wonder, “What have I done?”
“Think you’re so much better than everybody else!” as he exposes more of his heart.
He’s critical of everybody, not just you, but he’s particularly belligerent toward you.
You drive into the church parking lot excited to connect with God, to worship Him with your friends, to offer a gift to the Lord, a gift of praise, a financial gift for the offering, a gift of time hearing God’s Word with a surrendered heart.
As you’re walking up to the doors of the church, a memory invades your mind. You recall with clarity a conversation you had with someone when you were talking about a mutual friend, the one with the negative attitude. You were saying to that person that your mutual friend could be more effective for God if he would stop pursuing earthly success so vigorously.
“That’s it!” you realize, “That’s the problem he has with me. It must’ve gotten back to him, what I said.”
Just as you’re reaching your hand out to open the door and enter to church lobby, these words come to your mind as if someone is speaking them: “Leave your gift and go.” The Scripture immediately comes to mind. The pastor spoke on it several weeks ago and you ran across it again in your morning Bible reading just the other day.
It’s unmistakable. You know what you have to do. You turn around and walk back to your car, get in and drive to your offended friend’s house.
“We need to talk.” You say when he answers the door. “I think I must’ve hurt you with something I said about you.”
Your friend nods his head. “Come on in.”
You and your friend get out of your car and walk toward the entrance to the church.
“Thank you.” he says, “this is the first time I’ve actually wanted to go to church in a good while.”
“I just thank you for forgiving me so quickly.” You say with relief, “I’m sorry I caused you such problems.”
“It’s not all your fault. I didn’t have to take offense.”
“Let’s go get our praise on.”
But I [Jesus] say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought to court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
So, if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. (Matthew 5:22-24)