Be Reconciled

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

BE RECONCILED

Luke 12:57-59

57 "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58 As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59 I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." 

NIV

This may have everything to do with being reconciled with each other. Jesus may be making reference to the Ten Commandments here, in the sense that we should not commit murder, not steal, and not give false witness or testimony against our neighbor. We do not think that any believer would do any of these in our relationship with one another. Although Jesus made a point about murder being the same as when we hold hatred in our hearts toward someone. We also wonder if it would be possible that in some way we could steal another person’s joy. However, the point is that all of us believers should be living in peace and harmony with each other, motivated by our love for each other. Does that actually occur within the community of faith? We first think 0f the chasm that occurs with denominationalism and then we wonder about if perfect unity exists within a singular denomination, which leads us to the local church. Do we have harmony within the local church? Are there adversaries we are unaware of in the sense that someone could be harboring jealousy, envy, gossip, or some kind of ill feeling toward us? Then there is the opposite side where the other person looks down on us because of their pridefulness, thinking they are better educated than us, have a better position in the body, or have more prosperity than we do. There are so many ways in which we could be not reconciled with each other. Of course, we would never take each other to court over our petty differences, although according to Jesus they may not be so petty. Then we could see God as being the judge, and we will all stand before him and it would be far better for us to put aside all those things that would disturb perfect harmony and peace with each other. Although we are saved by grace, James tells us that our faith produces work, which could be seen as perfect harmony and peace with each other. Will God hold us accountable for being an adversary to another believer? Whatever the situation will be it would be better for us to make every effort to reconcile ourselves to each believer in our local church before it is too late.