I am a Jesus pusher!!! After all this discussion, how important is reconciliation with your brother? “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24). The Greek word “proton,” translated as first, refers to the order of things and is an emphatic statement. Jesus placed “be reconciled” with your brother as the priority. Does it not seem absurd that a disturbance in my relationship with my brother precedes my worship of God? You would think that on the priority scale, “worship of God” outranks any differences I might have with my fellow man. One does not have priority over the other; they are so intimately linked that you cannot have one without the other. The Greek word “dialisasso,” translated as be reconciled, is used only this time in the New Testament. It means the angry brother, who neither seeks nor envisages reconciliation, renounces his enmity. You cannot be responsible for your brother clinging to his bitterness and hatred. He may harbor his hurt, but you must remove every obstacle for him to return to love, peace, and forgiveness. There can be no expression or presence of pride or indication of rights and self-protection in the encounter. You are to be the revelation of God’s heart. You cannot control what is present in your brother’s heart. How he responds is not your responsibility. However, the passage focuses on what is present in you. Hindrance or blockage must not be in your attitude. You must be reconciled to your brother, even if it is one-sided. You are the hand of Christ nailed to a cross for him. Go to your brother! Jesus came to you! I am a Jesus pusher!!!