“Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans.”
Matthew 5:25–26, LSB
God really doesn’t like grudges. Jesus’ words are a reminder and a warning. We should always try to reconcile with one another and not insist on our views or dealings to be the only right way. Divisions are not good. God desires unity within His Church. This does not mean conformity. There is nothing wrong with differing opinions much of the time discussing and hearing varied views may be where God’s desire truly lies. Often our sin is in the stubbornness of our hearts which drives us further from God because He does not act as we think He should. Our Lord was teaching us to let go of our pride and set aside our differences to seek the Lord and live in His righteousness. If we allow things to be resolved in the worldly way, we may find the cost is high and every penny we must do the work that God calls us to is wasted. Let us first seek to resolve our differences. We may find that one who we once saw as a foe may become our greatest partner in the work which our Lord has called us to. In this, we may find peace.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.