Philippians 2:3; Matthew 5:21-24
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 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 POOLE (1624-1679): Matthew 5:23-24 is usually applied with reference to communion with God in the Lord’s Supper, but equally extensive to any other part of worship and prayer, 1 Timothy 2:8.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): When we are addressing ourselves to any religious exercises, it is good for us to take that occasion of serious reflection and self-examination: there are many things to be remembered—and this among the rest, whether “our brother hath aught against us.”
CHARLES SIMEON (1759-1836): Our blessed Lord had declared that a wrathful word was in fact a species and degree of murder: and from thence He takes occasion to inculcate the necessity of exercising in every respect a spirit of love—not only to entertain no anger in one’s own heart against others, but so as not to leave room for the exercise of it in the hearts of others towards us.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): If we have wronged another, we are to pause, cease from the worship, and hasten to seek reconciliation. We easily remember if we have ought against our brother, but now the memory is to be turned the other way. Only when we have remembered our own wrong doing, and made reconciliation can we hope for acceptance with the Lord.
JOHN TRAPP (1601-1699): “Confess your faults one to another,” saith James—your lapses and offences one against another, and then “pray one for another, that ye may be healed,” James 3:16; as Abraham, after reconciliation, prayed for Abimelech, and the Lord healed him, Genesis 20.
D. L. MOODY (1837-1899): It may be that you are saying, “I do not know that I have anything against anyone.” Has anyone anything against you? Is there someone who thinks you have done them wrong? Perhaps you have not; but it may be they think you have. I will tell you what I would do before I go to sleep tonight; I would go and see them, and have the question settled. You will find that you will be greatly blessed in the very act.
A. W. PINK (1886-1952): Seek to appease the anger of the one who has been offended, obtaining his forgiveness, regaining his favour and friendship, by humbling yourself before him, asking his pardon, and satisfying him for any injury which may have been done to him.
EDWARD PAYSON (1783-1827): I am aware that this is a most disagreeable duty. Nothing can be harder, or more painful to our proud hearts. But it will be far easier to perform it, than to suffer the consequences of neglecting it…Jesus plainly intimates, that God will accept no gift of us, receive no thanks from us, listen to none of our prayers, so long as we neglect to make satisfaction to those whom we have injured.
WILLIAM GURNALL (1617-1679): You will be little in prayer to God, if much in squabbling with your brethren. It is impossible to go from wrangling to praying with a free spirit. And if you should be so bold as to knock at God’s door, you are sure to have cold welcome. “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” God will not have the incense of prayer put to such strange fire; nor will He eat of our leavened bread, taste of any performance soured with malice and bitterness of spirit. First the peace was renewed, and a covenant of love and friendship struck between Laban and Jacob, Genesis 31:44, and then, “Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread,” Genesis 31:54—and dare we go up to God’s altar, bow our knees to Him in prayer, while our hearts are roiled and swollen with anger, envy, and malice? O God humble us.
MATTHEW HENRY: Many give this as a reason why they do not come to the communion, because they are at variance with some neighbour; and whose fault is that? One sin will never excuse another, but will rather double the guilt. Want of charity cannot justify the want of piety. The difficulty is easily got over; those who have wronged us, we must forgive; and those whom we have wronged, we must make satisfaction to, or at least make a tender of it, and desire a renewal of the friendship, so that if reconciliation be not made, it may not be our fault—Go, and be reconciled to thy brother, be just to him, be friendly with him, because while the quarrel continues, as thou art unfit to come to the table of the Lord—if thou persist in this sin, there is danger lest thou be suddenly snatched away by the wrath of God.
JEREMY TAYLOR (1613-1667): Therefore before every communion especially, we must remember what differences or jealousies are between us and anyone else, and recompose all such disunions, and cause right understandings between each other, offering to satisfy whom we have injured, and to forgive those who have injured us.
ALEXANDER WHYTE (1836-1921): One of our elders on the Sabbath before one communion heard a sermon on the text, “Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” Now that elder had long ago had a miserable quarrel with a man whose office was in the same street as his own. And on the Monday before the communion, he left his own office and crossed the street and rang his enemy’s bell. He felt, as he told me himself, that he would almost as soon have faced a lighted cannon as rung that bell. But he did it. And when he stood before his old foe, he did not speak. He only held out his hand. The two estranged men looked at one another. They shook hands and parted without words. But a load of anger and hatred and wickedness that had lain like a mill-stone on both their hearts was from that moment removed. And the two men came to the table next Sabbath reconciled to God and to one another.
JOHN TRAPP: And, as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting, so let love be after reconciliation; that if it be possible, as much as in us lieth, we may live peaceably with all men. Let it not stick on our part howsoever, but seek peace and ensue it.
MATTHEW HENRY: “Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” Ephesians 4:1-3. Peace is a bond, as it unites persons, and makes them live friendly one with another. A peaceable disposition and conduct bind Christians together, whereas discord and quarrelling disunite hearts and affections.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): Thus love, which has been interrupted by our fault, must be restored by acknowledging and asking pardon for the fault—“Forbearing one another in love.” This agrees with what is elsewhere taught, that “love suffereth long and is kind,” 1 Corinthians 13:4. Where love is strong and prevalent, we shall perform many acts of mutual forbearance.
C. H. SPURGEON: In disagreements be eager for peace. Leave off strife before you begin.
