The Herb Garden--Matthew 23:23

Day 11

I don’t like mint all that much.

I don’t like mojitos.

I find mint juleps scarcely more palatable.

I don’t like mint-chocolate ice cream, mint Oreos, or those little thin mint chocolates with the ribbon of green running through them.

Toothpaste and gum.  That’s about all where I want my mint.

There is mint grown in the herb garden behind Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, VA and the Gospel of Matthew is noted on the identification placard.

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 

This little aromatic herb as part of the fourth woe, is smack in the middle of Jesus’ harsh rebuking (the seven woes) of the scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew’s Gospel.

I say harsh because Jesus is without sin and STILL called the Pharisees hypocrites.

In fact, in Sarah Ruden’s The Gospels:  A New Translation the first part of Matthew 23:23 is translated:

“You have it coming, scholars and Pharisees, play-actors!

No wonder the administrative staff of the Jewish faith were nonplussed with Jesus.  🙂

I get Jesus' frustration though.

We just received a document yesterday from our HOA that introduces a new fine structure–fines for this, fines for that, fines for non-compliance, fines for not paying your fines.

Beyond the fact that most HOA’s have this Pharisee-like power built into the bylaws, they may as well have poured hot grease down my back.

Like the Pharisees, my HOA is vitally interested in the smaller duties of harassing folks when they never address the true problem of renting out their condos to people I would avoid in public.

The Pharisees would set up tables and COUNT out a tenth of the mint leaves that a person brought to tithe but interacted little with the PERSON.

And this was considered following their faith.

I suppose if I’m not careful, I can be guilty of focusing on the smaller things of my faith, even though they aren’t unimportant–like dutifully attending church, donating money, etc. while neglecting the weightier matters God has called me to do like justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

Arthur Lindlsley explains in Christ and The Bible  that Jesus was concerned that the Pharisees were not seeing the forest for the trees:

“In his various debates with religious leaders he never criticized them for following the Old Testament too carefully. He criticized them sharply for exalting their tradition above Scripture and for not reading it profoundly enough.”

My problem is I don’t exactly know how to apply justice, mercy, and faithfulness in my daily life.  That requires some thought and laser focused intentionality.

It’s easier to just go to church, I think.  🙂

But maybe, like the Pharisees, I’m making this too difficult.

I could give Karen a dollar every day to symbolize my love for her.  At the end of the year, she would have $365 to buy something for herself.

Or I could hold her, cherish her, tell her what’s on my mind, discuss The Word with her and how she feels about it, listen to her hopes and dreams and laugh together about the silliness of our lives.

Heck, I could even do both, but just giving Karen a dollar every day shouldn’t excuse me from all the cherishing, the loving,and  the pursuing the application of justice, mercy, and faithfulness in my life with her.

Of course Jesus is right to call out the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, but, to me, I still feel uncomfortable as I relate this Scripture to what’s happening in the world today.

The rise of anti-semitism in our country is undeniable.  (Up 388%, according to the link).

I saw yesterday that the town of North Andover in Massachusetts just approved the raising of the Palestinian flag in their commons for a month.

Hmmm.

Jesus calls out the Pharisees in Matthew 23, but also all of Jerusalem.  (See verses 37-39).

Hmmm.

Philip Esler explains the politics of Jesus and the seven woes:

“Within the dramatic setting of the Gospel, in the years of Jesus’ ministry, the neglect of πίστις (faith)  by the scribes and Pharisees reflects their rejection of Jesus in his lifetime. Yet he is accusing Judean leaders from the 30s of neglecting something which was actually crucial to Christ-movement identity towards the end of the first century CE. The manner in which faith is (very artificially) presented as an aspect of the law continues Matthew’s efforts to appeal to the Judean members of the Christ Movement. It also coheres with his efforts elsewhere to smooth over the chasm that had opened up between the Christ-movement, on the one hand, and the Judean people and the law of Moses, on the other.”

The chasm between Judaism and Christianity was there then and is certainly present now, along with the more deadly chasms between Judaism and Islam.

Oy vey!

Geo-political adventure and war is exciting on Netflix, but not so much in real-time.

Whew.  I might need a drink after considering where my place is among the Pharisees.  

Maybe even a mojito.  🙂

Lord, forgive us for the times when we have placed outsized emphasis on outward rituals while neglecting the heart-transforming parts of our faith.

Lord, we pray for discernment that we not become blinded by religious routines and dogma but focus on weightier matters aligned with Your heart.

Lord, we pray for a world that desperately needs Your transformative love.

Amen.