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Luke 11.42 (NIV)
“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 practiced
the latter without leaving the former undone.”
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| God’s expectations regarding giving are high, but they are also reasonable.* |
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I would love to have heard Jesus’ reprimand to the
Pharisees. I might imagine that “scathing” is the word to describe how he sounded,
but I doubt that Jesus spoke in that tone of voice. I don’t expect
that his attitude was conciliatory, either. Without having been an “ear”
witness, I only know this: Jesus spoke with authority when he exposed the
Pharisees for the frauds that they were.
The Pharisees were meticulous in their observance
of the law’s requirement to tithe - so much so that they gave God ten percent
of even the smallest crop from their gardens. But what did God need with their
herbs? By neglecting justice and mercy, they were disregarding the purpose of
the law.
Before we get too smug about the hypocrisy of the
Pharisees, let’s look again at Jesus’ parting shot: “You should have practiced
the latter without leaving the former undone.” He required from them that they
demonstrate the love and justice of God as well as that they give their tithe. He
doesn’t say to them, “Well, if you really love your fellowman, you don’t have
to tithe.”
Are you just and merciful to others? Good. Do you
give back to God at least ten percent of what he has blessed you with? According
to Jesus, you should practice both without leaving one undone!
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| God does not provide exemptions to anyone from the responsibility of giving.* |
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