To the church leadership,
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint, dill, and cumin and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith these you ought to have done and not to leave the other undone, you blind guides, which strain at a gnat and swallow a camel” Matt 23:23-24
There are three things that Jesus told the religious leaders of His day that they should have done:
1. Judgment – denotes the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing and separating, as in passing judgment upon another person or thing, in this passage it means the standard of judgment as in Just Dealings.
2. Mercy – Is the outward manifestation of pity, it assumes need on the part of him who receives it and resources adequate to meet the part of who shows it.
3. Faith – In this verse means trustworthiness
Elders, deacons, ministers, and Christians this applies to us. The leadership of the church are often asked to help out the needy or to help others in sticky situations. With the rise of divorce in America the elders ought to be very busy working out the problems of their sheep. The same is true of family ministers and deacons that oversee similar works. People have problems and many times the leadership just does not get involved with the lives of its members or perhaps members never tell the leadership they have issues. Is that not the job of an elder? To be the father like figure to handle the squabbles of the children? When brethren have problems they call the elders. When my children have problems they call on me.
One of three things Jesus said was being neglected was just dealings or judgment. Do we try to profit from everything we do for other people? Are we trying to better ourselves at the expense of others? Are we investing and giving of our time and talents to help others?
Mercy was the second. When you run into someone in need, a brother or sister, do we take the care needed and be the hands and feet of God. Do we meet their needs or do we say a prayer and move on hoping someone else will take care of them. John said how can you love God who you have not seen when you show no love to the brother that you see.
Faith was the third- trustworthy. Are you trust worthy? Are you faithful in the little things? If someone shares their struggle with sin, do you share that with others? Or do you pray and encourage alongside of them?
I have heard ministers, elders, etc say that they are unqualified to help counsel people and their problems and refer others to professional counselors. Are we becoming so void of truth that we have to turn to the wisdom of this world and its principles instead of what would Jesus do? Is God's word not living and the words of psychology professors and founders not dead? Why would we turn someone away from God’s instruction to man’s instruction?
Father help free us from the world and its wisdom and principles and turn to your living word that is never sown void, In Jesus name may it be so