A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

SEVEN WOES – NUMBER FOUR     

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. 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. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”   

What made the Pharisees and teachers of the law blind guides was they majored in minors. They ignored the complete teaching of God’s law. God’s Law was concerned with His people loving and obeying Him. Secondly, it directed His people to “love their neighbor as they loved themselves.   

In today’s devotional verses Jesus is not condemning tithing. He is condemning the teachers of the law and the Pharisees for neglecting important matters while concentrating on the insignificant. Would it be a grievous sin if in tithing they miscounted the number of seeds of mint, dill, or cumin? While meticulously following the Law in this area (Lev. 27:30), they failed to manifest the justice, mercy, and faithfulness demanded by the Law. 

James discusses the point of Jesus’ words in this way, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.” (James 2:8-11) 

Prayer: Father, guide me to know my sins, repent of them and through Jesus receive Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;  
Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise.  
While the hope of endless glory Fills my heart with joy and love,  
Teach me ever to adore Thee; May I still Thy goodness prove. 

Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’ve come;  
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wand’ring from the fold of God;  
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood. 

Oh, to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be;  
Let that grace now like a fetter Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee;  
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love,  
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above. 

Oh, that day when freed from sinning, I shall see Thy lovely face;  
Clothed then in the blood-washed linen, How I’ll sing Thy wondrous grace!
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry;  Take my ransom’d soul away;
Send Thine angels soon to carry  Me to realms of endless day.  

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing // LSB 686