Neville Goddard on Matthew 5:23-24 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 5 in context

Scripture Focus

23Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

24Leave 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

Biblical Context

Matthew 5:23-24 teaches that true worship begins with reconciliation. If you recall a grievance while offering, you must pause, reconcile in your inner state, and then proceed with your gift.

Neville's Inner Vision

The altar is a symbol of consciousness, not a place in time. When you bring thy gift to the altar, you are presenting an idea of yourself to your I AM. If there is a memory of grievance with another, that is a belief in separation within your mind. Therefore, the directive is to reverse the outward act and first attend to the inner state until there is unity. To reconcile is to revise the belief in separation, to acknowledge that you and your neighbor are one in God. Forgiveness dissolves the imagined wound, blesses the other as whole, and affirms that your I AM is the sole reality expressing as both you and your brother. In that inner alignment, the gift can be offered with the light of harmony rather than strain. See the other as beloved; assume unity; feel the peace that follows; and move from the altar to the offering as the one Self.

Practice This Now

In a quiet moment, close your eyes and affirm, I and my brother are one in God. Feel the response of the I AM as unity; revise the memory of grievance until it dissolves. Then imagine placing your gift at the inner altar and walking forward in perfect harmony.