Read Matthew 23:23-24
You Still Missed the Mark.
5th WOE: Again Jesus starts out saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Because they tithe Mint and Dill and Cummin while neglecting the weightier matters of the law: Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness.
Congratulations scribes and Pharisees for abiding by the law that says they should tithe a tenth of their produce: their herbs.
But they MISSED THE MARK of living out the underlying principles of the law: Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness.
Neglecting Justice and Mercy means a lot of people will suffer. If you don’t show faithfulness to the Lord, then your testimony for the Lord stinks. Your lack of faithfulness hurts your relationship with God and it influences others, who look up to you, to do the same.
Vs 24: Jesus calls the scribes and Pharisees blind guides because they strain out a gnat to make sure the wine they drink is not infected by a small bug. But they’ll blindly swallow a camel because they aren’t paying attention to the fact that they aren’t living out the principles of the Law.
What are the things we could brag about when it comes to our faith walk? Perhaps you could say, I go to church every Sunday, I pray everyday, I tithe my money, I drive the van to pick up kids for our children’s ministry, etc. These things are awesome and you should do them. You strain out a gnat to make sure you carry out these duties every week. But don’t swallow a camel when it comes to living out the principles of God’s Word!
If someone unpopular is being bullied or neglected, do you befriend them? Or are you more concerned about being friends with just the popular individuals?
If someone makes a mistake, are you quick to condemn them and belittle them? Or are you quick to show Mercy by encouraging them and helping them with their faith walk?
When the going gets tough, do you quit or do you stay faithful to the Lord fighting together with him through each obstacle of life?
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 emphasizes how we could be great people for the Lord but if we lack love, we’re nothing. Lord help us not MISS THE MARK of Love, Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness. Help our lives to be a light for Christ in a dark world! Amen!
