Unsettled relationships can get in the way of worship. Can we say that we love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength, and yet not love our neighbour as ourselves? Will any gift of money or service make up for a failure to love? No! Jesus said, "To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mark 12:33).

So Jesus told His disciples that if they had sinned against others, they should not cover it up but seek to be reconciled through humble repentance. Not to just smile and pretend that everything is alright, but to ask for forgiveness and desire a restored relationship. In the meantime, they should leave their gift at the altar (not to withdraw it but wait to present it in holiness). After the human relationships are restored, God will be pleased with the gift.

Reconciliation should be a priority wherever possible. There is an optimal time window for reconciliation. After that it becomes harder to achieve, or even impossible. However, our offence is not just against our brother or sister, but also against the law of God and even the law of the land. Therefore it is foolish to delay repentance, or to assume that the offence will be lost in the mists of time. If it is important to resolve boundary disputes quickly before they become a matter for the courts, how much more should we deal with unsettled relationships before God needs to exercise His hand of judgement.

Human relationships easily break. Sin invades our families, churches and communities naturally; it finds a weak place in our spiritual defences and then establishes its rule. As it does so, families are fractured, friendships are frayed, and love is lost. The kingdom of heaven is a very different kind of society: one where rights are secondary to relationships and where love rules. We cannot separate our relationships with God from the way we relate with other people. So, it is good to review the way in which we interact with other people; ask the Lord to highlight those broken bonds which He wants to heal and ask Him to provide the grace and opportunities to do so. Then we will be able to serve Him with a fresh heart and know His joy.