“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” – Matthew 23:23
It’s very easy to carefully follow all the “rules” and etiquette of “proper” church life yet completely miss the heart of God! That was the problem for the scribes and Pharisees who went above and beyond in their concern for appropriate tithing, even tithing herbs from their garden. Yet their hearts were cold toward other humans created in God’s image.
While deeply concerned with their own righteousness, they didn’t care about the injustice all around them. They didn’t have a bit of mercy toward those who were less able to navigate the written and unwritten rules of 1st century religious life, nor were they generous with their time or treasure to help those in need. Their hearts were also cold toward God, because they ultimately felt responsible for their own right standing before God. Such a mindset is a terrible lie convincing us we don’t really need God, He needs us.
We may never put words to these thoughts, but they can become dangerous assumptions undermining our own spiritual lives. We can be so satisfied with our own progress in holiness that we forget our deeply sinful nature and God’s infinite grace and mercy that pulled us out of that sin through faith in Jesus Christ. We can be so pleased with ourselves and how we “made it on our own” that we lack mercy for those struggling with poverty, addiction, or mental or physical illnesses and disabilities. Guard your heart and thoughts, lest this woe fall upon you too!