THE SACRIFICE MOST AGREEABLE TO GOD
7. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matthew, 5: 23 & 24).
8. With the words "First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift," Jesus teaches that what is most agreeable to God is the sacrifice of our resentments and that before Man asks for pardon he should first have pardoned others and made good any damage caused to his fellow beings. Only then will the offerings be acceptable to God because they will come from a heart expunged of all evil thoughts. Jesus explains this in the material sense of offering gifts because the Jews of those days offered sacrifices, so it was necessary that His words conform to the customs of the time. The true Christian however, does not offer material gifts to God, since all sacrifice has been spiritualism, and with this the precept has gained even more strength. He offers his soul to God and his soul has to be purified. Thus, upon entering the temple of God, Man should leave all feelings of hate and animosity outside, including evil thoughts against his fellow men.
Only in this manner will the angels take his prayers and place them at the Feet of the eternal Father. This is what Jesus was teaching when He said: "Leave then thy gift before the altar and go first and be reconciled with thy brother if you wish to be agreeable to the Lord."