Be reconciled
by Annie Duarte
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Try hard to be reconciled, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison (Luke 12:58).
Notice that Jesus does not point out that the other party in the disagreement may be found at fault and thrown into prison but that you may, in fact, be turned over to the officer. Here, the implication is that blinded by sin, we could likely be the person at fault when we argue with a brother or sister.
This verse is an invitation to examine oneself in humility. God wants us to be truly reconciled with one another – not in a forced way, but in a way that reflects repentance and a change of heart. ‘Try hard to be reconciled’, Jesus says.
Forced retribution ordered by a judge can be helpful, but it does not mean that the matter has been truly resolved or that the relationship has been repaired. It lacks a rhythm that is so crucial to the Christian walk: confession, repentance and forgiveness.
Many churches include this spiritual practice in worship each week and give worshippers a designated time to confess, repent and receive God’s forgiveness. This is not just for corporate worship. We can confess our sins against one another to one another, acknowledge our wrongdoing and repent of it. By God’s grace, this will give way to forgiveness from the other party.
One simple way to be reconciled ‘on your way to the magistrate’ – if you will – is to apologise first. In a disagreement, often both parties have something they could apologise for – an action, a word, an attitude, an assumption. This can be a terribly hard pill to swallow, but the Holy Spirit is gracious to prompt us with gentleness yet convict us in a way that spurs change. How can you be open to his prompting in your relationships today?
Jesus, you showed me how to perfectly love even those who have wronged me. Open my eyes so that by your Spirit, I may become aware of my own blind spots. By your grace, redeem broken relationships in my life. Amen.
Annie Duarte is a wife, mum, worship leader and preschool Bible teacher. She and her husband serve in ministry together in the United States. Annie loves seeing God’s word come alive to people of all ages.
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