Your brother’s keeper

How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity! (verse 1)

Read Psalm 133

There’s enough trouble in this world without us Christians adding to it. From earliest times even family members have been at each other’s throat. Cain killed his brother Abel. Generations later, Esau wanted to kill his brother Jacob. Instead of loving our neighbour as ourselves, we’re inclined to ‘bite and devour each other’ (Galatians 5:15). Sad to say, this happens even in Christian families and congregations.

What a wonderful thing it is when the cycle of hostility is broken! How good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live in unity! Jesus, our older brother, broke the cycle when he absorbed human hostility against himself and prayed for the forgiveness of his enemies. He has shown the way of brotherly love. Now his apostle Paul encourages you and me to be ‘kind and tender­ hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you in Christ’ (Ephesians 4:32).

May God’s peace prevail in our homes and congregations.

Our loving Father, thank you for freely forgiving us in Christ Jesus. Help us to experience how good and pleasant it is when we live in peace and concord with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.

by Greg Lockwood, in ‘Time Out, a word from God” (2008 – copyright ACR, used with permission)