“First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24)
In Jesus’ days, offering a gift to God was a common religious practice in the temple in Jerusalem. This was a good thing to do. But like all religious practices, offering a gift would sometimes be just an outward act. God doesn’t like that; He’s far more interested in our hearts and our attitudes towards Him and fellow men. “To love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33).
I think that’s why Jesus summons people: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:23-24). You can’t serve God with an unforgiving, grudging heart. We are called to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Is your heart filled with God’s love and forgiveness? Are there people around you that you need to forgive? How does this affect your relationship with the Lord God?