After reading this chapter I found myself contemplating verse 42, one of the ‘woes’ Jesus pronounces on the Jewish leadership. "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.
Majoring in the minutia yet missing the big stuff, that was my first thought.
The Pharisees were scrupulous in their observance of the tithe. They even tithed from their herb garden! But they missed the big things of God… like love and justice. Certainly they knew how important love and justice were. They could have quoted Micah 6:8. Yet somehow they let love and justice slip.
For every one of us there will be aspects of Jesus’ way of living that seem relatively easy. Maybe it is giving, or prayer, or sabbathing. But there will be other aspects of Jesus’ living that we find difficult, even uncomfortable. We may be tempted to avoid these tougher or weightier parts even as we follow through with those things that seem to come more naturally to us.
Jesus’ woe should press us to keep working on ALL aspects of Jesus living, particularly the parts we find difficult. Jesus’ final words in verse 42 are telling. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone. Keep doing what you know is right and comes easy even while you work at developing those areas of righteousness that are difficult.
Where do I need to work? What must I stop avoiding? Where do I need to grow? These and follow up questions spun as my devotional time wound down today…
Lord I don’t want to face one of Your woes Lord, I want to grow to maturity. Help me give over to You those weak areas of my spiritual life, that I might grow in honoring and living for You, and for justice and love.
This I pray in Your name. Amen.
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