Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Matthew 23:24 In Jesus day, fastidious Pharisees would strain their water and wine to ensure they consumed nothing unclean -- like a tiny gnat. Jesus used such attention to detail to point out a kind of hypocrisy on their part: They were willing to give attention to the tiniest elements of the religious law while ignoring the larger, more important issues. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus pointed out how they were careful to tithe their herbs -- mint and anise and cummin -- while neglecting the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. Both were important, Jesus said, but the lesser shouldnt take precedence over the larger. We are faced daily with choices, the outcomes of which vary in their weight and implications. If they are choices based on the clear teaching of Scripture, our only choice is to obey. But in gray areas -- and most of a mature Christians daily decisions are in this category -- wisdom is needed. And grace is needed toward those who might choose differently from us. Pray about the choices you will face today, for the discernment to see their relative importance, and for the skill to act appropriately. In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity. Richard Baxter
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 02:24:25 +0000
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