Verse of the day: Matthew 23:23-24 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 You blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Over and over again the Lord tells us that He prefers obedience over sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 51:16; Pro 21:3; Mt 12:7; Mk 12:33). The Pharisees’ hypocrisy was great in that they put great importance on the lesser, yet ignored that which was greater before God; in other words, they majored in the minors. In verse 24, the Lord was referring to the practice of straining their water or wine to remove the insect larvae. They were troubled and careful to strain the gnats, but swallowed a camel by ignoring that which was more important to God. How many of us have been guilty of the same? I would have to say that if we are honest with ourselves and God, we’d have to say that we all have. We put much emphasis on the sins of commission (the things we do that we are commanded not to do), and less emphasis on the sins of omission (the things we do not do that we are commanded to do). We readily condemn the murderer, rapist, thief, adulterer, fornicator, but turn a blind eye to the one who fails to love God and his neighbor, the one who fails to forgive, or show kindness; the liar, and the gossiper who causes division. Too often we pick and choose the biblical truths to live out that are convenient and make us seem “religious” and dedicated to God; all the while, behind closed doors, and in our hearts, we are far from being committed to the Lord. The Pharisees brought their tithe for all to see. Jesus was clear that our alms were to be given with humility and in secret (Mt 6:1-4). We are not to boast of how much we give when we are giving it to the Lord, for His purposes. Too often I have heard people give “testimony” of how they gave “this much or that much”, alleging that they are giving God the praise; when in fact they were looking to tell others what a great amount they gave, all for the pat on the back. They flaunted their “religiosity”, but failed to be just in the way they treated the people, the poor, and the needy. They were merciless and operated without true faith in God, always being self-reliant, and refusing to elevate God in their lives; instead, preferring the glory for themselves. As born again believers we must not just seek to avoid the sins of commission, but we must also put great emphasis on avoiding the sins of omission. A Christian who truly loves God and loves his/her neighbor does so when no one is looking. A Christian who desires to avoid hypocrisy will apply the Word of God equally, and will resist applying only that which is easy for that current circumstance or that which makes them appear godlier than they really are. God is not interested in our outward religion. He wants us to have a heart for God (1 Sam 16:7; Jer 17:10). We go to our worship services, bringing our tithes and offerings; we teach our classes and we speak our Christians words, praising God. Yet, in our hearts we harbor hatred toward a brother or sister. We refuse to forgive offenses that God commands us to forgive and hold on to grudges and thoughts of vengeance. We smile our fake smiles, all the while failing to love sacrificially as God tells us to. We openly behave like Christians, but privately we do all that grieves God and then justify our actions or inactions when we are caught in the web of our own deceit. King David is wonderful example of what God sees as a man who is after God’s own heart. King David sinned against God on more than one occasion. The one he is best known for is his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband Uriah, which he orchestrated in an attempt to cover up his adultery. Although he paid a great price via his consequences, in all of this, God called King David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Why did God see him in this fashion, even after all he did to sin against God? It was because King David was a man of humility. He had reverence for God. He trusted God. He was obedient. He was devoted. He was repentant when God confronted him regarding his sins. King David was an example of one who did not ignore the sins of omission, even though he had moments of weakness with sins of commission. God sees beyond our “religious” actions and sees right into what we harbor in our hearts. Let us not be pharisaical in our Christianity; let us seek to serve and worship God without hypocrisy.
In Christ, we will be forgiven for all our sins. Jesus paid the price for the world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). Today, He extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus in repentance, confessing their sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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