DAY 18: What is important?
Reading: Matthew 23:1-23
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
The problem with guidelines is that eventually someone will convert
them into an unbreakable law which has to be slavishly followed. In
this passage, the generous spirit became consumed by a legalistic,
mean-spirited nature. Jesus sets his face against some very devout
and religious people. It seems that some of them had missed the
point of religious observance. So instead of liberating the spirit, it was
enslaving it.
The passage exposes the hypocrisy of some who did not practise what
they preached. Their enthusiasm was misdirected. They knew that
they had to tithe their produce but took it to the extreme and in so
doing had lost sight of justice and mercy. As we open up our wallets,
purses and bank accounts to the Holy Spirit may we not seek to draw a
line based on a legal precept, rather lets us allow the wind of the Spirit
to blow where He will.
As we respond to the generous God who loved us and gave Himself for
us, so we respond with open hands and wallet. Even more than that,
we respond by loving justice and mercy.
For further Reading: Jeremiah 8:4-12 - Jeremiah rebukes those who don't properly
apply the laws of God.
To Ponder: How do you stop yourself becoming fixated on the minutiae of
giving and focus instead on the big issues?
To Pray: Lord Jesus, may I never succumb to the meanness of heart
that gives out of duty. May I always be moved out of love and
compassion to give generously towards your work. Amen.
‘you give a tenth… but you have neglected the more important matters
of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness.’ v23
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries[a] wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. [
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
“Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
The problem with guidelines is that eventually someone will convert
them into an unbreakable law which has to be slavishly followed. In
this passage, the generous spirit became consumed by a legalistic,
mean-spirited nature. Jesus sets his face against some very devout
and religious people. It seems that some of them had missed the
point of religious observance. So instead of liberating the spirit, it was
enslaving it.
The passage exposes the hypocrisy of some who did not practise what
they preached. Their enthusiasm was misdirected. They knew that
they had to tithe their produce but took it to the extreme and in so
doing had lost sight of justice and mercy. As we open up our wallets,
purses and bank accounts to the Holy Spirit may we not seek to draw a
line based on a legal precept, rather lets us allow the wind of the Spirit
to blow where He will.
As we respond to the generous God who loved us and gave Himself for
us, so we respond with open hands and wallet. Even more than that,
we respond by loving justice and mercy.
For further Reading: Jeremiah 8:4-12 - Jeremiah rebukes those who don't properly
apply the laws of God.
To Ponder: How do you stop yourself becoming fixated on the minutiae of
giving and focus instead on the big issues?
To Pray: Lord Jesus, may I never succumb to the meanness of heart
that gives out of duty. May I always be moved out of love and
compassion to give generously towards your work. Amen.
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