Thursday, April 15, 2010

Matthew 23:23
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

The scribes and Pharisees were fixated on the letter of the law and completely missed the spirit of the law. At first read it seems that Jesus is more concerned with the spirit than the letter, the "weightier things." However, the conclusion Jesus comes to is that God is concerned with both.
In my life, have I become fixated on one aspect of the law or Christian life that I neglect others? Have I become prideful and arrogant about one aspect of obedience while ignoring the conviction of the Holy Spirit? Has my labor in the Lord been without love (1 Cor. 13)? Have I become so comfortable with my Christian liberty that I've neglected by brother's faith and conscience (Rom 14)?

Father - forgive me for neglecting Your commands for the sake of my own self esteem. Forgive me for my pride and arrogance in what I choose to obey. Teach me to value both the spirit of the law and the letter. Open my eyes to where I need to grow and give me the courage to change. Amen.

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