Word@Work Luke192 - Luke 11:42
Published: Thu, 09/16/10
Word@Work from BeaconLight
GIVING WHAT IS EASIEST
Luke 11:42 "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practised the latter without leaving the former undone." (NIV)
Tithing was a part of being a true Jew: giving to God a tenth of one's income. If they grew garden herbs then 10% of the crop was measured out and given to the priests: and Jesus did not criticise that practice. What He objected to was the contrast between the physical tithes, which everybody could see, and their invisible failures to treat people fairly and to love God by obeying His commands about relationship.
That sort of hypocrisy presents a good public face but does not reflect the heart of the person. It is common in religion, but it is not spiritual, it is merely acting on a stage. Jesus condemned the 'heart disease' of formalised religion, which measures spirituality by obeying rules, at the expense of developing a personal relationship with God and godly relationships with other people. By saying "Woe to you ...", Jesus was expressing His grief that leading religious figures could be so blind. They could not see that God was looking for them to relate with Him and was not satisfied by scrupulous adherence to religious rule.
Today it is also easy for followers of Jesus to fall into hypocrisy without thinking, particularly if their church has expected patterns of worship or service - where nobody notices the slide from true devotion into religious rule-keeping. Of course, such practices may well help our devotional life by becoming spiritual disciplines, but if they become an end in themselves we risk dislocating ourselves from the life of Christ. More than that, any publically observed religious activity can become a smokescreen for spiritual barrenness, and be self-deluding; presuming that all is well with God, when the vitality of relationship with Him has disappeared. So what is the remedy? As Jesus said, concentrate first on developing a living relationship with God and put His love into practice with the people around you, without neglecting to practise those spiritual disciplines which will enable Your love for the Lord to grow more.
Prayer: Living Lord. Thank You that You see all of my heart, my desires and motives; and that nothing is hidden from You. Please forgive me when I have found it more convenient to hide behind my service for You without having Your love motivating me. Help me to invest in my relationship with You in the secret place where my devotion is not seen. Then may I be a champion for Your love in the workplace and of Your justice in the community. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Tithing was a part of being a true Jew: giving to God a tenth of one's income. If they grew garden herbs then 10% of the crop was measured out and given to the priests: and Jesus did not criticise that practice. What He objected to was the contrast between the physical tithes, which everybody could see, and their invisible failures to treat people fairly and to love God by obeying His commands about relationship.
That sort of hypocrisy presents a good public face but does not reflect the heart of the person. It is common in religion, but it is not spiritual, it is merely acting on a stage. Jesus condemned the 'heart disease' of formalised religion, which measures spirituality by obeying rules, at the expense of developing a personal relationship with God and godly relationships with other people. By saying "Woe to you ...", Jesus was expressing His grief that leading religious figures could be so blind. They could not see that God was looking for them to relate with Him and was not satisfied by scrupulous adherence to religious rule.
Today it is also easy for followers of Jesus to fall into hypocrisy without thinking, particularly if their church has expected patterns of worship or service - where nobody notices the slide from true devotion into religious rule-keeping. Of course, such practices may well help our devotional life by becoming spiritual disciplines, but if they become an end in themselves we risk dislocating ourselves from the life of Christ. More than that, any publically observed religious activity can become a smokescreen for spiritual barrenness, and be self-deluding; presuming that all is well with God, when the vitality of relationship with Him has disappeared. So what is the remedy? As Jesus said, concentrate first on developing a living relationship with God and put His love into practice with the people around you, without neglecting to practise those spiritual disciplines which will enable Your love for the Lord to grow more.
Prayer: Living Lord. Thank You that You see all of my heart, my desires and motives; and that nothing is hidden from You. Please forgive me when I have found it more convenient to hide behind my service for You without having Your love motivating me. Help me to invest in my relationship with You in the secret place where my devotion is not seen. Then may I be a champion for Your love in the workplace and of Your justice in the community. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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