The Heart of the Law

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24)

The religious leaders meticulously observed minor things in the law, such as tithing even the smallest of the herbs, but they didn’t even mention the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. Their zeal for outward displays of holiness blinded them to the heart-transforming principles that were the point of God’s law.

In our modern context, it's easy to become ensnared in a similar religious rut. We might prioritize religious routines or rituals (even as Word of Faith people) and become passionate about them while overlooking what God is trying to teach and tell us now. Just like the old idiom of straining a gnat and swallowing a camel, we risk losing sight of the very foundation that our faith stands on. So, how can we avoid this pitfall? How can we ensure that our spirituality is rooted in the weightier matters of the law and not simply religious practices?

First, let us focus on justice. Let's stand up against injustice wherever we find it, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves with compassion and the truth of God’s Word.

Second, let's embrace mercy. God showed mercy to you when you did not deserve it and so should we do so for others, regardless of their shortcomings. Choose forgiveness over judgment and understanding over condemnation.

Last, we need to have unwavering faith. Hear God's Word, receive God’s Word, believe it, speak it and act on it. Allow it to change our hearts and guide our actions, empowering us to live lives rooted in truth, not rituals.

Look for opportunities to show mercy to those around you. Be kind when someone is rude, and give help when someone is acting frustrated. Decide to show the mercy that God showed you.