"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. 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."
Matthew 23:23
This verse, when reading it this morning as part of my daily devotion, brought to mind the thought of the Sunday Christian. While we should not judge, I am sure we all know someone who does not quite know how to parlay what they do and learn in church on Sunday into their daily lives. They tithe, they read, they sing and they confess. Only Monday thru Friday, they curse, swear, and treat others with little or no respect.
Jesus reminds us in this verse in Matthew, that we must be mindful of all of God's laws, and more importantly, we must understand why the laws were given to us. It is not to make us feel better or more important to someone else, to look down upon others as if they are not as worthy as us. No, we are to follow all the laws in the same love that God shares with us. Treat others with the same kindness and respect that you would want them to treat you.
If you follow God's laws, not in the same love as He showed, but instead to show how worthy you are, you are as Jesus says, hypocrites. For nothing we can do can make us worthy in God's eyes. The only way to be worthy is through faith in Jesus Christ.
One way to help en sure that you stay in tune with God's true meaning of the law is through daily prayer. Ask God daily to help you see others in God's light. Ask for guidance in difficult situations, especially when dealing with other people. Ask God to forgive you for the sins you commit without even knowing. Thank God for the love He shares and for allowing you to share that love with others.
God Bless your Thursday.
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