King James Bible
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;"
Jesus references the Jewish practice of bringing offerings to the temple altar as an act of worship. The 'therefore' connects this teaching to his previous statements about anger and murder, establishing that worship cannot be separated from interpersonal relationships. At the very moment of religious devotion, the worshiper recalls unresolved conflict where they have wronged another. The emphasis is on the offended party's grievance, placing responsibility on the one who caused harm to initiate reconciliation before proceeding with worship.