Matthew 23:23-24

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" I love how God reveals a passage of Scripture that previously you skimmed over but suddenly are taken back by, as if you never read it before. This is one of those passages for me because Jesus is addressing a number of issues by taking a concept that practically all Christians are aware of (tithing), but adding a dimension that transcends our preconceived notions. Leviticus 27:30 begins our understanding of what Scripture defines on this topic: "Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the Lord's; it is holy to the Lord." Here, God is directly addressing the discipline of giving back to Himself a portion of the monetary blessings He has bestowed on us, specifically the first fruits of our labor (Deuteronomy 26:1-4). This is critical for it provides the earthly provision needed to support the ministry of the local church, as it did for the priests and Levites of the nation of Israel. Scripture also defines within the Old Testament that the minimum value of a tithe is a tenth (Leviticus 27:32), although one should not feel limited to give by that amount. For as the apostle Paul exhorts, "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (1 Corinthians 9:6-7). The issue of tithing is truly paramount to the Christian faith. For if we think about it, God grants us incredible grace and mercy by providing for all our needs, of which we should not worry or stress about in the slightest. Jesus specifically addressed this point in Matthew 6:27. "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" The beauty of Christ's message though is the cause and effect principle of trusting God's promises and our obedience of applying those truths in our lives according to His will. "Therefore do not be anxious saying, 'What shall we eat?' or ' What shall we drink' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:31-33). Tithing is simply a measure of our obedience (and indirectly our attitude as well) that God's sufficiency is greater than all we could desire. By applying the principle of tithing in our lives, we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and he consequently blesses that obedience beyond measure. What then is the critical point that Jesus is making in Matthew 23:23-24? Tithing is indeed an important work in the life of a Christian and cannot be ignored nor neglected. Rather, Jesus is addressing a heart issue that supersedes an observance of a religious law. He is not abolishing the necessity of tithing, but rather elevating the importance of all righteous living with the principle issue of tithing. In other words, consistency of Biblical application was the scribes and Pharisees greatest flaw and one we have willingly inherited into our spiritual lives. James 1:22 states this plainly: "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." If we choose to focus on various parts of Scripture while neglecting the importance of Scripture as a whole, we fall victim to Jesus' admonition to the scribes and Pharisees. No verse of God's Word is devalued by another verse, for "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). I love the context of Matthew 23:23-24 because it drives a stake directly into the condition of our hearts. The issue of tithing is simply a Scriptural law Jesus uses to make a finer point, but also a concept that can be broadened in context to expand our understanding. For if we as Christians begin to offer our lives (not just our monetary possessions) to God as a tithe offering, remembering that we are submitting unto Him our first-fruits (which can include our time, our resources, our attention, our services, our thoughts and our attitudes), we will begin to comprehend how Jesus speaks intimately to each one of us His solemn convictions. It is as if He is saying, "You obediently apply My Word (i.e. tithe) on specific issues that are passionate to your heart down to the finest detail, but you fail to recognize that you are consciously neglecting the entire truth of My Word that has the power to free you from the chains of Pharisaism." For example, Deuteronomy 15:7-11 is a perfect illustration of Christ's point: "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be. Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’" One should not only give a tenth of their monetary possessions to the church as a tithe offering, but should also meet the needs of others as God wills it and provides "blessing" opportunities (emphasizing Christ's point of neglecting the weightier matters of the law). Note though that helping others in need should not supersede or replace our tithe obligations, lest we diminish God's Word against itself. Both are equally important and must be applied in our daily lives. In a deep study of a highly sensitive "religious" issue, we cannot allow our hearts and minds to be weighed down by frustration and hopelessness because we continually fall short of the mark. God promises infinite and immeasurable blessings for those who do His will and will meet us if we humble ourselves and submit to His authority and instruction. Look no further that Malachi 3:6-12 for a immeasurable promise of God's incredible grace and mercy for those who trust in Him and fulfill His commands: "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts." God challenges us directly to put him to the test and see for ourselves if He is not faithful. The question is simple and undoubtedly convicting though. Will you and I tithe all that we are and all that we have according to His Word and allow His Holy Spirit to shower down blessings of righteousness that are more valuable in the sight of God than gold and precious jewels? He does not promise earthly riches for our trust and obedience, but rather "a peace of God which surpasses all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). The decision is ultimately ours on how we choose to obey His commands, but Christ's warning cannot be ignored: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Matthew 7:13). Choose your path wisely!