The Olive Branch.

Many, many years ago, I had a disagreement with a neighbour. It was entirely my fault and it was so long ago I don’t even remember what it was about. But we both just kept our distance from each other and the years rolled by. Some years later I started to attend a new church. I’d never been to this church before, and everything, and everyone in it was new to me.

After a few weeks of attending I happened to be glancing across the congregation and there I spotted my neighbour that I had fallen out with. I looked at him, and he glanced at me, and we both just turned and paid attention to the rest of the service. And so, a few months rolled by like this.

One day, I was walking along the street where I lived and I happened to notice my neighbour outside his home working on his car. His head was buried deep inside the engine bay and he did not see me coming past. But something inside me made a decision to stop and say hello to him and see if we could put the tension behind us and continue enjoying the church.

I stopped and said hello. He looked up and I could see the negative expression on his face. Fair enough. He had a right to be offended. I get it. But I figured that now was the time and the place for me to lay down the olive branch of peace.

“I’ve seen you at the church”, I said. He nodded. “Well”, I said, I know that there has been tension between us in the past and I’d like to see if we can put that behind us and move on”. He put his head down and nodded apprehensively.

I continued, “All I can say is that the past is in the past. And I can’t change that. But we’re at the same church now and I can promise you that I won’t be doing anything to offend you again. I’m just interested in getting along in the church and enjoying it”.

I could see him nodding, but I also felt that I had said enough for now. I had laid down the Olive Branch of peace and I meant what I said. I said cheerio and left him to his work.

Several months went by. And I started to make friends and get involved in the church groups. It was a great place to be involved and I was enjoying it all.

Then one day, I was sitting in a seat by myself and my neighbour came over and said hello. I said hello and we shook hands. And I knew then that the mood had changed. It carried on that way for a few more months but it wasn’t long before we were able to sit beside each other in church and enjoy the service. Time, and God, allowed us to heal our rift.

You see, when it comes to trying to fix past hurts like that, we can only lay down the olive branch of peace. But we cannot simply make the other party lift it up if they don’t want to. We have to give them time to see that “peace” is what you really want. If they don’t accept that, then the problem becomes theirs and it is no longer yours. But we must carry on our lives as if they have lifted the olive branch and we live a life of peace within ourselves.

There have been many stories of reconciliation and peace in the bible. Jonah and the Ninevites. David and Bathsheba. Peter and Jesus. And they all began with one common thing – An acknowledgement that things were not good between us and that we need to find a way forward. Eventually those people in the bible repented of their sins and failures and moved along to have a holier relationship with God.

There is a word in the bible – “Justified”. And someone once explained it to me in simple terms that forgiveness is “JUST IF I’D never sinned”.

It was prophesied of by Isaiah…

Isaiah Ch53 (11) …By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities...

It was fulfilled in the sacrificial death and glorious resurrection of Jesus…

Acts Of The Apostles Ch13 (39) …and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things…

And this, is the very essence of Repentance and Justification – To live our lives in a way that our past grievances have no more hold over us and we live our lives looking to Jesus and his Glory.

In time, the other parties may decide that they want to lift up the olive branch that you layed down. But we must not allow the misdemeanours and grievances of past times to have a hold on our lives anymore. There must come a time when we must put away our angers of the past and we must realise that those things happened so long ago. But that they have no more hold on us now. Our life mission is in looking to Jesus.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine.
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Saviour all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
praising my Saviour all the day long.

Email - TheseLivelyOracles@hotmail.com
Internet - www.theselivelyoracles.co.uk
Facebook - These Lively Oracles
Twitter(X) - @LivelyOracles58
Location: H3W9+VX Belfast, UK

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