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It is universally accepted that when a person offends another person, it is the offender who turns to the offended person for reconciliation. The offender goes to the offended to admit the wrong done to the offended, to apologize and ask for forgiveness.
In many African cultures, this principle sometimes goes further. Depending on the seriousness of the case, the offender brings an elderly person or a respected person into society to argue their case. The idea is that even if the offended person was not inclined to accept the apology, they can look at the older or respected person and accept it. Many conflicts and disputes in Africa are resolved in this way.
Many of us have found ourselves either as delinquents or as offended, so we understand both sides. We know what it feels like when someone offends us but doesn’t care to acknowledge it, let alone apologize. Reconciliation is easier when both parties know and agree on who did or said what hurtful to whom.
In a way, Jesus reinforced the universally accepted principle when he said that if you are going to present your gift at the altar and remember that someone has something against you, leave your gift at the altar. , go to the person you have. offended, reconcile with him, then come back and present your gift to God (Matthew 5: 23-24).
At the time Jesus made this statement, gifts were primarily being offered to God at the temple altar in Jerusalem. People had to travel long distances to get there. Imagine you had traveled a long distance to Jerusalem and waited a long time for a priest to help you deliver your gift at the altar, but “unfortunately” you remembered that someone had something against you. . (Probably not a good time or a good place to have a precise memory). At that point, you had to leave the gift and go and be reconciled with the person before you come back and give the gift. This is a very difficult requirement, and it tells us how important it is for us to be reconciled with people before we rush to give our gift or perform religious activities to please God.
In the era of information and communication technologies (ICT), however, distance should not be a major obstacle to reconciliation efforts. We have land phones, cell phones, email and various social media and ICT devices to maintain communications with others. When necessary and feasible, we can set up Zoom Cloud meetings or similar video setups to allow face-to-face interactions.
Therefore, anyone who has trouble with their parents, spouses, children, extended families, friends, pastors, Church members, colleagues, classmates, and even enemies, scattered at home and abroad, should benefit. of this Christmas period to be reconciled. and make peace. The apostle Paul also advises us to do everything we can to live in peace with all (Hebrew 12:14). In particular, if the problem is not complicated and can be solved by saying “I’m sorry,” say it kindly and think it through. Those who want to be economical with words can shorten it by simply saying “I’m sorry”.
If reconciliation with another person is so important to Jesus, reconciliation with God is even more so. However, God made an exception to the universally accepted principle. God has come to us! The birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was a turning point in our relationship with God. God took the first step toward reconciliation even though we were the ones who offended him by disobeying his commandments and laws.
You may remember that Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, and God banished them from the Garden of Eden. Then their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent, and Cain complained about his punishment, but none of them showed remorse, apologized to God, asked for forgiveness, or did not made no attempt to be reconciled with God. They became disobedient to God and subsequently all of humanity with them. Since then, God had made efforts to reconcile mankind to himself, but we seemed content with our disobedience and our sin.
Something different had to be done, but the concept of God coming to dwell among us on earth would have been unthinkable to the people of ancient Israel, Moses and some of God’s prophets. There was a time when people pleaded with Moses to tell God not to come and talk to them directly because they were afraid (Exodus 20: 18-19; Exodus chapter 19).
God seemed distant at that time. Today we have the privilege of having God with us. Emmanuel, God is with us (see Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). And to emphasize this point, on one occasion Jesus responded to the Pharisees as follows: “The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed; neither will they say: “Here it is! or “There!” for, behold, the kingdom of God is among you. (Luke 17: 20-21 RSV). Jesus was apparently referring to himself. In other words, the Pharisees were looking for a kingdom whose representative and incarnation stood in their midst or in them.
Our relationship and reconciliation with God must be given top priority. If Jesus wants us to stop offering our gifts at the altar until we have reconciled with others, he certainly wants us to make reconciliation with God the top priority before we do any other religious activity. This means that our preparations for Christmas and our activities and celebrations during and after Christmas should have reconciliation with God as a top priority.
God has already taken the first step. God has come to us in the form of his Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has reconciled mankind to himself. It is up to all of us to take the next step. Now is the time for each of us to answer the question posed by Pontius Pilate just before we condemn Jesus to be crucified: “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22 NIV). Here is a suggestion of what you can do with Jesus Christ: Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, the Only Begotten of God, the One by whom mankind will be saved. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek him daily through our prayers.
Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Lawyer, Texas, USA, and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.
The ministry of PrayerHouse is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually on their own without any middle priest, pastor, or anyone else. It is a free service. No money is requested or accepted. One facility is located in Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near the offices of the Building and Roads Research Institute, 1.6 km from the Kumasi-Accra road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 054-7498653. Another is located in Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, on the Kumasi-Obuasi road, branching left at the Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.
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