Scripture

Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
(Luke 11:42)

Devotional

While the Pharisees strictly observed the law, they neglected justice and mercy. I am more than a little convinced that doing one without the other will eventually equate to doing neither. There is a manifold chastising of the Lord in our text: the first being the Pharisees tithing of some of the most trifling products of the earth. (1) The Lord, disclosing what they considered a tithe, revealed their conniving to meet the most minute requirements of the law. They missed the complete grace issue of the tithe. Secondly, He chastised them for missing the greatest commandment, "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"(2)
The Pharisees loved little because they gave little. Our hearts will always follow our treasures. Jesus also said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."(3)

Thought For The Night

“Balanced biblical Christianity is a rare phenomenon. It seems to be a characteristic of our fallen minds that we find it easier to grasp half-truths than to grasp the whole truth, and in consequence we become lopsided Christians.” John R. W. Stott: Rector Emeritus of All Souls Church in London, England, where he has served for over fifty years.

Evening Text

Luke 11:42: “Woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Looking for Answers

Can the mercy, grace, and justice of God ever be separated?
How does one pass by justice and the love of God?
Do you ever find yourself doing God’s will in one area and neglecting it in another?

Evening Study Guide

Defining: “These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” Here we have the wisdom of the “and” instead of the folly of the “or.”

Referencing: “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God,” Acts 20:27.

Applying: Seek the wisdom of the “and” and watch out for the folly of the “or.”