A Study of the commands from our Lord, Jesus the Christ

Week 30, June 20th

This week's Tour Stop is the command: "Be Reconciled". The command is found in the passage Matthew 5:22-24 (NASB).

"But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."

The Holy Spirit reminded me of this passage as I was searching for a command I could write about this week. I consider the time it takes to write this blog as an offering to the LORD. A time I can pray to the Father without any distractions. And as Jesus suggested in Matthew 6:6 (NASB), I go to my "inner room" with the door shut and pray about what I am offering to my Father.

So why did the Holy Spirit want me to write about the command "Be Reconciled"? Please bear with me as I explain.

It has been less than two months since my Mom passed into Glory. The very next day, my brother and sister woke up early in the morning and started sorting out her clothes to donate. I received a text message that they had started and if we had any personal items, we better get over there now and make a claim before they made the first run to Goodwill. My brother reminded me that he was in charge of the estate.

My wife complied with their request and by the time we showed up six bags of items were ready to take to Goodwill. So we spent the rest of that day taking personal items we had lent to Mom over the past 20 years back to our house. My brother was there overseeing the process. He knew what we taking.

Then everything changed after my brother met with an attorney. My brother said everything in the house at the time of Mom's death belonged to the estate. The personal items we had taken were to be returned. Registered Letters were sent demanding the return of my wife's personal items that Mom had borrowed over the years, along with items that Mom had wanted my daughter to have and my brother had initially granted her permission to take.

Since Mom's will specified that my brother was to be her personal representative, He had the "legal" responsibility to liquidate Mom's estate, pay all the final cost for the funeral and then distribute the proceeds to Mom's beneficiaries.

My brother made it clear he was in charge.

Before my Mom's Memorial Service, just four days after her death, my brother informed us the reading of the will would be later that afternoon. My brother read the will and specified Mom's estate was to be liquidated through an estate sale and distribution of the proceeds would be made to the beneficiaries as specified in the will.

What my brother had failed to mention during the reading of the will was an event that transpired two years earlier. In 2014, he convinced my Mom to record the deed to her house as a beneficiary deed with ONLY my brother listed on the deed. This means that upon her death, the house, is transferred to my brother and not to the estate.

This means the only assets my brother is "legally" obligated to distribute to the other beneficiaries of the will, after all the final expenses are paid, are the assets from the sale of the items found in Mom's house. My brother is under no "legal" obligation to divide the proceeds from the sale of the house to any of the beneficiaries. In fact, my brother can "legally" keep the entire proceeds for himself.

WHY do I tell you this story? The reason is simple. Read verse 22. The Holy Spirit was reminding me over the past month, I had committed every sin listed in that verse. I believe I had good reasons and I even had other believers tell me I might be justified to have those thoughts.

But the Holy Spirit directed me to verses 23-24: "Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother".

My mind was racing to figure out what the Holy Spirit was trying to get me to understand. What could my brother have against me. I questioned my past actions towards him. I prayed to the LORD to show me what I had done or not done. I asked why had the Holy Spirit so clearly directed me to these verses.

Then my sinful nature started to list all the sins my brother had committed against me and my family. I even contacted an attorney and asked him what "legal" avenues were open to me. I wanted to know how I might punish my brother. Then I realized what the Holy Spirit was doing.

First, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the sins I had already committed (see verse 22) and Second, I needed to obey the command to "reconcile" verse 24).

I would like to tell you as I write this week, I have "reconciled" with my brother.

BUT

I am struggling with this entire process. As I write my "offering" this week, I have NOT reconciled with my brother.

I have a plan of action that I intend to initiate but as A. W. Tozer says, until a command is obeyed you have done nothing about it.

Each week I try to bring up a "take away" from the Tour Stop. This week's take away: Your tour guide needs your prayers.

I need to "let go" and let GOD work "all things for good" (see Romans 8:28 (NASB)).

I need to trust the LORD with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (see Proverbs 3:5 (NASB)).

I need to let my actions in the coming weeks glorify GOD (see Matthew 5:16 (NASB)).

I desire your prayers so that my spirit is renewed and I put on the new self which is created in the holiness of truth (see Ephesians 4:23-24 (NASB)).

AMEN.

If you have any other questions for me please send me an email

If this link does not work for you my email address is 'burtonmark@cox.net' with the subject line of 'Week 30'. I would love to hear from you.

The tour will continue next week but I am not at all sure which of the commands of our LORD I will be sharing.

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