Love And Sacrifice

Ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ὕπαγε πρῶτον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου. Καταφονεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς οἰκείας τιμῆς, ἵνα ἡμεῖς μόνον ἀγαπῶμεν. Ἐαν δὲ ἔχῃ τι κατὰ σοῦ ὁ ἀδελφός σου εἰπὼν, οὐδὲν ἄλλο προσέθηκεν. Εἴτε γὰρ δικαίως εἴτε ἀδίκως ἔχει, διαλλάγηθι. Καὶ οὐκ εἴπεν, Ἐὰν ἔχῃς σὺ κατ' ἐκείνου, ἀλλ', Ἐὰν ἔχῃ ἐκεῖνος τι κατὰ σοῦ, σπούδασον αὐτὸν φιλιῶσαι σοι. Προστάττει δὲ ἀφεῖνα τὸ δῶρον, ἵνα σοι ἀνάγκην ἐνθήσῃ τοῦ καταλλαγηναι· σὺ γὰρ θέλων προσεϝεχθῆναι τὸ δῶρον σου, ἀναγκασθήσῃ διαλλαγῆναι. Ἄμα δὲ δεικνύει ὅτι ἡ αγάπη ἐστὶν ἡ ὄντως θυσία. Θεοφύλακτος Αχρίδος, Ἑρμηνεία Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον, Κεφαλὴ E' Source: Migne PG 123.196b

If, then, you are offering a gift at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift. 1 God reproves our own self love in which we love ourselves alone. And when He says, 'If he has something against you,' He adds nothing more. For whether he has something rightly or wrongly against you, you should be reconciled. And He does not say, 'If you have something against him,' but, 'if he has something against you,' you must try to restore friendship. Thus He commands you to leave the gift and imposes on you the need for reconciliation, and contrary to your wish to offer the gift, He orders the restoration of friendship. And here He teaches that the true sacrifice is love. Theophylact of Ochrid, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Chapter 5 1 Mt 5.23-24