atone, until he seeks pardon from his fellow.”1 If we understood this better, we’d see why repentance is not just an obligation but essential for our relationships with God and other people. Jesus’ teaching agrees with this traditional Jewish teaching, though he thought that repenting to someone you had hurt was too important to wait until the Day of Atonement. In fact, it was even more urgent than worshiping God: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember