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It is universally accepted that when one person offends another, it is the offender who goes to the offended person to reconcile. The offender goes to the offended to admit the wrong done to the offended, offer an apology and ask for forgiveness.
In many African cultures, this principle is sometimes taken a step further. Depending on the seriousness of the matter, the offender brings an elderly person or someone respected in society with him to defend his case. The idea is that even if the offended person was not willing to accept the apology, they can consider 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 criminals or offended, so we understand both sides. We know how you feel when someone offends us but you don’t mind acknowledging it, much less apologizing for it. 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 offering at the altar and there you remember that someone has something against you, leave your offering on the altar, go to the person you have. offended, reconcile with him or her, and then return and present their gift to God (Matthew 5: 23-24).
At the time Jesus made that statement, most offerings were offered to God on the altar in the temple in Jerusalem. People had to travel long distances to get there. Imagine that you have traveled a long distance to Jerusalem and waited in line for a long time for a priest to help you offer your offering at the altar, but “unfortunately” you remember that someone had something against you. (This is probably not a good time or place to have a keen memory.) At that point, he had to leave the gift and go reconcile with the person before returning and offering the gift. This is a very challenging requirement and it tells us how important it is for us to reconcile with people before rushing to offer our gift or engage in any religious activity to please God.
In this age of information and communication technology (ICT), however, distance should not be a major obstacle to reconciliation efforts. We have landlines, cell phones, emails, and various social media and ICT devices to maintain communications with others. When necessary and feasible, we can configure Zoom Cloud Meetings or similar video settings to allow face-to-face interactions.
Therefore, all those who have problems with their parents, spouses, children, extended families, friends, pastors, Church members, co-workers, schoolmates, and even enemies, scattered at home and abroad, must take the opportunity this holiday season to reconcile. and make amends. The Apostle Paul also advises us to do everything possible to live in peace with everyone (Hebrews 12:14). In particular, if the problem is not complicated and can be solved by saying “I’m sorry,” say so politely and seriously. Those who want to be cheap 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 came 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 in 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 expelled them from the Garden of Eden. Later, his 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, begged for His forgiveness, or made any attempt to reconcile with God. They became disobedient to God and, subsequently, all mankind with them. Since then, God had endeavored to reconcile humanity to himself, but we seemed content with our disobedience and sin.
Something different needed 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 the people begged Moses to tell God not to come and speak directly to them because they were afraid (Exodus 20: 18-19; Exodus chapter 19).
God seemed distant in those days. Today, we are privileged to have 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; Nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or “There!” for behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst ”. (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 was right in their midst or within them.
Our relationship and reconciliation with God must have the highest priority. If Jesus wants us to stop offering our gifts at the altar until we are reconciled to others, he certainly wants us to make reconciliation with God the highest priority before engaging in any other religious activity. That means that our preparations for Christmas, and our activities and celebrations during and after Christmas, must 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 humanity to himself. It is up to all of us to take the next step. This is the time for each of us to respond to the question that Pontius Pilate asked just before sentencing Jesus to be crucified: “What then will I do with Jesus, called the Christ? (Matthew 27:22 NIV). Here’s a suggestion on what you can do with Jesus Christ: Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, the only begotten Son of God, the one through whom mankind will be saved MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.
Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney, Texas, USA, and Founder, House of Prayer Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.
PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet place for individual Christians to pray for themselves without any priest, pastor, or anyone else in between. This is a free service. Money is not required or accepted. One of the facilities is located in Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near the offices of the Building and Roads Research Institute, one mile from the Kumasi-Accra highway 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 intersection of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, on the Kumasi-Obuasi Road, forking left at the Trede intersection. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.
