Matthew
23:23 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you
give a tenth (tithe) of your mint and dill and cumin [focusing on minor
matters], and have neglected the weightier [more important moral and spiritual]
provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the
[primary] things you ought to have done without neglecting the others. 24 You
[spiritually] blind guides, who strain out a gnat [consuming yourselves with
miniscule matters] and swallow a camel [ignoring and violating God’s precepts]!
(AMP)
God is amazing
in how He says so much in just one verse. If you think about the history of
God’s people throughout the Old and New Testament, you see great stories of
faith and disappointing stories of unbelief and sin. We see how God has been
faithful for generations to those who love, obey and serve Him. We also see how the Lord has been merciful at
times, but then has had to judge those who continuously disobeyed and sinned
against Him. You would think the Lord would be tired of man by now. But just as He admonished the Pharisees above
to show mercy, in His faithfulness His mercy endures forever toward us!
Jesus’ choice
of words in verse 23 put you in the mind of someone who is fed up or disgusted?
The Lord is speaking to the Pharisees about their religious behavior and poor
choices in failing to totally obey Him in the whole counsel of His Word. He
proclaims to them that they have done some of the things that He requires, but
have omitted the weightier matters of justice,
mercy and faithfulness in His law (v23).
These three are essential to living our life for God in spirit and in
truth? Without faith it is impossible to please God according to Hebrews 11:6. If
it has not been for God’s mercy on us, where would we be besides dead bound for
hell? In Matthew 5:7 Jesus teaches that blessed are the merciful, and that they shall obtain mercy. Now justice,
which is really lacking these days and seems to be very misunderstood, is
necessary if we are to understand our own salvation. Acts 17:31 tells us that For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he
has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the
dead. God gives us His holy law in order that we might see our sin, and by faith in Jesus know that the Lord God in
His Word is the great and only judge, who
by His Son Jesus we might obtain mercy
unto salvation. Have you addressed these
weightier matters in your life in relationship to the Word of God through
Christ?
Alleluia to the Lamb of God who
was slain before the foundations of the world.
Jesus you are the great and merciful judge of all things. We plead mercy from you and pray that we
might obtain mercy as we grow in Your Word seeking You in spirit and in
truth. Your testimony is amazing, and by
this we have faith so that we might overcome the evil one in Your Name
Jesus. Lord by Your precious Holy Spirit
we desire to persevere to the end so that we might receive our crown in Your
glorious salvation. Forgive us, help us
and save us in Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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