We’ve all heard the saying “be quick to forgive.” The saying, “be quick to apologize” is just as important, and much more difficult to carry out! Apologies are ego-killers.
Matthew 5:23 - "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 5:24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
Imagine a mother with two grown sons – both married. She loves both of them dearly, but they’ve had such a fight that they won’t talk to each other anymore. When one son’s family comes to visit on mother’s day the other son avoids her house. He waits for the first to leave so he and his family can visit and drop off their gift without them having to see his brother. Do you think on mother’s day this woman would rejoice because the sons brought her such nice expensive gifts? No! The thing that would make her heart rejoice on mother’s day would be if her two boys reconciled! God is the same way. He wants unity among His children. Our service and sacrifices are worthless in comparison. Once there is unity, only then can He rejoice in the sweet sacrifices that we’ve lain before His feet.
In order to maintain this unity, we must be quick to apologize. Sometimes we must apologize even when we didn’t commit the offense. Our proof is Jesus Himself who after living a sinless life humbly took the punishment which He did not deserve. We must sometimes do the same for the sake of peace. This way we can have peace even with many immature believers who are proud and difficult to get along with. A Christian who is willing to apologize for something he or she didn’t do is definitely a peacemaker.
Matthew 5:9 - "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”