by Mark Mayberry
Synopsis: In his editorial, Mark discusses the dangers of misplaced priorities. May we avoid neglecting the weightier matters of God's word, and not disregard other duties that we might deem of lesser importance.
Denouncing the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus warned against their tendency of neglecting the weightier provisions of the law (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42).
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others (Matt. 23:23).
But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others (Luke 11:42).
If there are "weightier provisions" of the law, then one might ask, are some provisions "lighter" or "smaller" or "less important"? Yes and no. If Jesus identifies justice, mercy, faithfulness, and the love of God as profoundly important principles, then the meticulous tithing of garden herbs involve matters of less magnitude. Yet, this does not mean tithing of small things was insignificant: Jesus said, "These are the things you should have done without neglecting the others."
Misplaced priorities remain a potential pitfall. Therefore, let us consider the weightier (and the lighter) provisions of God's word, noting the dual problems of (1) majoring in minors, and (2) minoring in minors.
Referring to broader principles (such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness), Jesus said, "These things you should not have left undone." Some emphasize smaller requirements while neglecting the larger principles. This was a frequent failure of first-century Judaism. Some people render obedience in "small things" and rationalize that they are free of guilt in the larger things. Others seemingly want to buy their way into heaven, thinking, "If I give generously, I can live lustfully." When Jesus observed people casting money into the treasury, many who were rich put in large sums, but it did not represent a sacrifice because they gave of their abundance (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4). The deceitfulness of wealth often chokes the word (Matt. 13:22), and riches easily become a barrier to entering the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 19:23-26).
We must pursue justice (Matt. 23:23; Luke 11:42). The Greek word krisis, translated "justice," communicates the concept of making good decisions and proper judgments. It describes the legal process of judgment involving either human courts or divine judgment, especially on the Last Day. It signifies personal morality—doing what is fair and right, acting with a sense of justice/righteousness.
Jesus Christ pursued justice for all, Jew and Gentile alike (Matt. 12:15-21), thus fulfilling God's promise concerning His Servant: "I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles" (Isa. 42:1-4).
God expects His people to pursue justice (Ps. 82:1-4; Col. 4:1). David, a man after God's own heart, reigned over all Israel, administering justice and righteousness for all his people (2 Sam. 8:15; 1 Chron. 18:14).
God gave His only begotten Son to save lost humanity, but many refuse this great gift. Those who love darkness rather than light are not pursuing justice (i.e., what is right) but fall under divine judgment (John 3:16-21, esp. v. 19).
Let us heed the injunction: "Judge with righteous judgment." How? By avoiding the snare of self-justification; by learning the truth, and living in harmony with its precepts; by making informed and rational decisions, and avoiding superficial, crowd-based judgments (John 7:14-24, esp. v. 24).
Justice and mercy must be balanced: "Judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment" (Jas. 2:13). Recall Jesus' parable on forgiveness. Do we share in the riches of God's grace, enjoying the forgiveness of sins, but show a miserly spirit toward others (Matt. 18:23-35)?
In contrast with unreasoning individuals who revile things which they do not understand, let us learn from the example of Michael the archangel who was reserved rather than reckless: "did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (Jude 8-10).
God requires that we manifest mercy/kindness (Matt. 23:23). The Greek word eleos, translated "mercy," refers to "kindness or concern expressed for someone in need" (BDAG). God has repeatedly shown compassion toward mankind; we should manifest the same attitude toward others.
Our salvation is based upon divine mercy, not human merit (Titus 3:5-6). With Christ as our intercessor, let us boldly approach God's throne, "so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:14-16).
The Lord expects His people to manifest mercy/kindness (Micah 6:8). Lacking compassion for the lost, the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, even though His purpose was to convert—not condone (Matt. 9:10-13, esp. v. 13). They cared more for credal conformity to human codes and ritualistic observance of divine requirements than in seeking to comprehend divine compassion (Matt. 12:1-7, esp. v. 7).
Mercy is evidenced as we actively love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:30-37, esp. v. 37). Recall the warning of James: those who lack mercy will face divine judgment (Jas. 2:13). Compared to the demonic disorder oft displayed in this dark world, the wisdom that is from above is "full of mercy" (Jas. 3:14-18, esp. v. 17).
We must be faithful (Matt. 23:23). Although the Greek noun pistis has a wide range of definitions, it primarily refers to either "faith" or "faithfulness." It may be subjective, i.e., referring to my faith that God exists, and that Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, died for my sins. It may be objective, referring to the faith, i.e., the gospel of Jesus Christ—on which personal conviction is based.
We should manifest unswerving faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son, and the Sacred Scriptures which are given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 8:24; Rom. 1:16-17; Heb. 11:6).
Let us manifest true piety and genuine devotion, showing fidelity to Christian teaching and faithfulness in our daily walk (Luke 12:42-43; 2 Cor. 5:6-8).
The importance of "the love of God" is reflected in Luke's use of the phrase in his parallel account (Luke 11:42). Remember, the first and second commandments involve love for God and our fellow man (Matt. 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34). Obedience demonstrates God's love in our hearts; rebellion reflects the opposite (2 Thess. 3:4-6; 1 John 2:4-6).
Sometimes, we minimize an act of weakness, disobedience, and sin by treating it as a small thing. For example, someone might ask, "I don't have to obey God in every particular, do I? One sin is not going to cause me to be lost, is it?" God is merciful, but forgiveness is predicated upon repentance. The sin concerning which I refuse to repent is the sin that can condemn my soul (Rom. 2:4-11).
Others assert, "It's okay to ogle women as long as you don't act upon your lust." Nevertheless, let us not forget Jesus' warnings against the defiling nature of lust (cf. Matt. 5:27-28; 15:19-20).
Some assert, "Little lies are okay as long as they don't hurt anyone." Still, Paul said, "Do not lie to one another…" (Col. 3:9-10). Jesus reveals the doom awaiting "all liars" (Rev. 21:8).
Some claim, "As long as I avoid the most offensive forms of blasphemy, cursing, and profanity, a certain degree of crudeness is okay." While cursing is characteristic of sinful humanity, such should not be part of a saint's vocabulary (Rom. 3:13-14; Eph. 4:29; 5:3-4).
Brethren occasionally ask, "Do I need to attend every service of the saints?" or assert, "If we are traveling, and away from home, it's okay to skip worship services. We only have a few days of vacation, and I have to be back at work on Monday, so why waste a lot of time trying to find a place to worship?" Early disciples "continually devoted" themselves to spiritual fellowship (Acts 2:42). Paul planned his trip around assembling with the saints (Acts 20:6-7). We must not be neglectful of our assembling (Heb. 10:23-25).
How should we classify the commands of God? Some folks major in minors and minor in majors, but none of God's commandments may be ignored (Ps. 119:160; Prov. 30:5-6). Misplaced priorities constitute a potential pitfall.
Author Bio: Mark and Sherelyn have labored with the Adoue Street church of Christ in Alvin, TX since 1998, where he serves as the evangelist and an elder. The church website is ascoc.org. His Bible study website is markmayberry.net. He can be reached at mark@truthpublications.com.
