Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 5:23-24

"If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." — Matthew 5:23-24 (ASV)

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matthew 5:23–24).

Note that this instruction is addressed to the man who has offended his brother.

Why is this? Because he is the least likely to try to make up the quarrel. The one who has been offended usually exhibits the nobler spirit, but the offender is almost always the last to seek reconciliation.

Therefore, the Savior says to him, "If thy brother hath ought against thee, it is but right that thou should be the first to seek reconciliation with him. Leave thy gift, go away from the prayer meeting, turn back from the Lord's table, and go and first be reconciled to thy brother."

Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you; leave there your gift before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

It is said that, in Hindustan, there is a complete divorce of religion from morality, so that a man may be supposed to be eminently religious even while living in the utmost filthiness and vice; but it must never be so among us. We must never imagine that God can accept an offering from us while we harbor any enmity in our hearts.

Perhaps, after reading this passage, you say, "If I had anything against my brother, I would go to him at once, and seek to be reconciled to him." That would be quite right; but you must go further than that, for Christ says, If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you.

It is much easier to go to the man who has wronged you than to the one whom you have wronged. Yet the second is evidently the clearer duty and should be attended to at once; nor can we expect the Lord to attend to us unless we attend to this duty.

The Pharisee would urge, as a cover for his malice, that he brought a sacrifice to make atonement, but our Lord will have forgiveness rendered to our brother first, and then the offering presented. We should worship God thoughtfully, and if in the course of that thought we remember that our brother hath ought against us, we must stop. If we have wronged another, we are to pause, cease from the worship, and hasten to seek reconciliation.

We easily remember if we have anything against our brother, but now the memory is to be turned the other way. Only when we have remembered our wrongdoing, and made reconciliation, can we hope for acceptance with the Lord. The rule is—first peace with man and then acceptance with God. The holy must be traversed to reach the Holiest of all. Peace being made with our brother, then let us conclude our service towards our Father, and we will do so with a lighter heart and truer zeal.

I would anxiously desire to be at peace with all people before I attempt to worship God, so that I do not present to God the sacrifice of fools.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

The Pharisee would urge as a cover for his malice that he brought a sacrifice to make atonement, but our Lord requires forgiveness to be given to our brother first, and then the offering presented. We should worship God thoughtfully, and if in the course of that thought we remember that our brother has something against us, we must stop. If we have wronged another, we must pause, cease from the worship, and hasten to seek reconciliation. We easily remember if we have something against our brother, but now the memory is to be turned the other way.

Only when we have remembered our wrongdoing and made reconciliation can we hope for acceptance with the Lord. The rule is: first peace with man, and then acceptance with God. The holy must be traversed to reach the Holiest of all. Once peace is made with our brother, then let us conclude our service towards our Father, and we will do so with a lighter heart and truer zeal. I would anxiously desire to be at peace with all people before I attempt to worship God, so that I do not present to God the sacrifice of fools.