I am currently preaching a series based on the Sermon on the Mount titled the Upside-Down Kingdom. In my sermon this past week I looked at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:23–24—His command to leave our gift at the altar and first go and be reconciled to our brother or sister. It’s a challenging picture. Before worship. Before ritual. Before the visible act of devotion. Jesus says, “Go make things right.” In God’s Kingdom, reconciliation matters deeply.
The heart behind this command becomes even clearer when we read Romans 12:18: “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Notice the humility in that verse. Paul doesn’t say we can control their response. He doesn’t say reconciliation will always be mutual. But he does say that we’re responsible for our part. In the upside-down Kingdom, we don’t wait for the other person to make the first move. We don’t nurse offenses. We don’t justify bitterness. As far as it depends on us—we pursue peace.
Reconciliation is not just something God commands, it’s something God modeled. 2 Corinthians 5:18–19 tells us that God reconciled us to Himself through Christ. When we were far off, when we were the ones who had sinned, God made the first move. He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up. He sent Jesus. The cross is the ultimate picture of reconciliation—of love reaching across the divide.
In our world today, division is everywhere. Social media arguments. Political hostility. Church disagreements over preferences and issues. Brothers and sisters in Christ dividing over things that, in light of eternity, simply aren’t worth it. And yet Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). When believers refuse to reconcile, our witness suffers. But when we humble ourselves, seek forgiveness, extend grace, and pursue peace—even when it’s hard—we reflect the heart of our Father.
Reconciliation doesn’t mean pretending nothing happened or that everything’s fine. It doesn’t mean that truth doesn’t matter. It means we value relationship more than being right. It means we refuse to let bitterness take root (Hebrews 12:15). It means we choose obedience over our pride.
Maybe today the Holy Spirit is bringing someone to your mind. A strained relationship. A harsh word spoken. A conversation avoided. Romans 12:18 gently reminds us: as far as it depends on you. We can’t control their response—but we can control our obedience. We can pray. We can reach out. We can forgive. We can take the first step.
The upside-down Kingdom calls us to a higher standard. It calls us to love like we have been loved. And because we have been reconciled to God through Christ, we now have both the responsibility and the power to pursue reconciliation with others. May we be a people who lay down pride, pick up humility, and live at peace—so that our worship is not just words at an altar, but lives that reflect the hearts reconciled to God.
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