A WORD FOR TODAY, January 29, 2026
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, January 29, 2026
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24, WEB
Quite frankly, I hate the cold. I know I’m a wimp. I know that the weather is harsher and colder in other places in the nation, but I really hate winter. I doubt complain about the heat in the summer because I’m happier being warm. I saw a meme the other day that said, “For all those who wanted winter... are you happy now?” Some were definitely happy a few days ago, but extreme temperatures and precipitation get old very quickly. I don’t think anyone is really happy right now. Everyone is grumbling in one way or another. I feel justified grumbling because I didn’t want winter in the first place, but I know it really doesn’t help to grumble about the weather. There’s nothing we can do but find a way to live (and survive) through it. Sometimes that means hibernating for a few days, but we can all use a break from the world once in a while, right?
I laughed when I read the meme about those looking forward to winter, but the reality is I grumbled about those people back when they were grumbling about the heat. I have a favorite response: I live in Texas for a reason. I moved south to get away from the winter weather. Oh, Texas does occasionally get snowy and cold, but thankfully those times are brief. I look forward to the heat, even the extreme heat, when my neighbors are grumbling. Sadly, I will grumble about their grumbling.
It is a natural human response to our world for us to grumble when we are not happy. We want everything to be exactly as we want it to be. Of course life would be better if the weather were sunny and eighty degrees every day. Of course life would be better if my neighbor agreed with my opinions on everything from the weather to politics to religion to which soda is best. Of course, life would be better if I got my way. But the world doesn’t work that way, sometimes we are disappointed. Sometimes we are cold (or hot). Sometimes our neighbors disagree with us. This leads to brokenness and conflict. I don’t know about you, but there are more than a few relationships in my life that are strained, most often for the silliest reasons.
Part of the liturgy in many denominations is a moment of
reconciliation between people. It is called
“Passing the peace.” This has become a time to shake the hands of those sitting
next to us, to wish them well and perhaps even ask about their kids. It often
takes more time than it should as the worship leader has difficulty getting
everyone to settle back into their seats. I know that on many Sundays I have
chased after my friends to give them a hug and tell them how pleased I am to
see them. This isn’t a bad thing, although it is not really the purpose of that
time in the liturgy.
Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel lesson, that we should not give our offerings to God if there is brokenness in our relationships. Passing the peace is about reconciliation. It is about restoring relationships with one another before we stand before God. We can’t worship God truly and completely if we are grumbling about our neighbors. Our Father wants us to be reconciled, to live in peace with one another.
When I teach the true meaning of “Passing the Peace”, the listeners always joke that they are going to watch me. “We’ll know something is up if we see you cross to the other side of the sanctuary! We don’t really want to make a public demonstration of our brokenness, so we only pass the peace with those who are nearby. Sadly, the conflicts of our life cause us to lose sight of our God, and when we ignore or reject the idea of reconciliation, we turn our back on the way God has redeemed us to live. We can’t hate a neighbor and love God. This is why God wants us to lay down our offering and reconcile.
The hardest part of this less is that none of our conflicts are totally the other person’s fault. Jesus said, “if you remember your brother has something against you...” This text is calling the guilty to be the initiator, but the reality is that we are all guilty. We’d rather wait until the other repents and initiates the reconciliation because we believe they hold the greater guilt. We think we are innocent.
We have a choice. We can spend our time grumbling about things like the weather, but we need to remember that grumbling gets us nowhere. The weather happens whether we like it or not. It becomes even more important to stop grumbling about our neighbors because the grudges we hold against our brothers and sisters affect our relationship with the God who loves us. He loved us so much that He saved us from our sin and continues to provide for our needs despite our grumbling. He loved us so much that He sacrificed His Son for our sake, so that we’ll be reconciled to Him. He loves us so much that He desires reconciliation between His people, calling us to pass the peace and find common ground in the reality of our need for God’s grace.
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