Gnats And Camels

Gnats and Camels

Read: Matthew 23:13-36

“You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Matthew 23:24

“There is no true holiness without humility.”

—Thomas Fuller

IN WORD It’s easy to criticize the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. Jesus gives us so much material in Matthew 23; the woes pronounced against them are harsh and pointed. Six times in this chapter He calls them hypocrites; five times He says they are blind. He labels them whitewashed tombs and a brood of vipers. All of this is directed at people who thought they were pleasing God. All of this condemnation comes upon those who sought to be righteous. What did they miss?

Jesus accuses them of majoring on the peripheral trappings of holiness while rejecting the very character of God. They’ve given to God everything the law demanded they give. They’ve sacrificed according to its minutest details. They’ve upheld the moral judgments of the Torah and have avoided wrong behavior. They tithe even their spices! But they can’t see the heart of God. They’ve missed the Personality behind the law. They’ve performed acts of righteousness with no connection to the Spirit of righteousness. They’ve paid attention to the gnats and ignored the camels.

IN DEED Yes, these hypocrites are easy targets. They are so outwardly focused that they’re inwardly bankrupt. But don’t we have similar tendencies? Test yourself: Do you ever go through the rituals of a worship service without an attitude of worship? Do you sing the words of the hymns without even thinking of their meaning? Do you consume the wafers and the wine without consuming the Spirit behind them? Are you so focused on law that you condemn the lawless? Do you miss the heart of God?

God’s character is the source of justice, mercy, and faithfulness (v. 23). It is full of love, compassion, and truth. Whatever we do in His name should be saturated with such attributes. If it isn’t, we’ve swallowed the camel. We’ve missed the heart of God.