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| From http://www.arethemost.com/ |
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.
After all, it is not what goes into a man that makes him unclean, but what comes from his heart (cf. Mat. 15:11).
It is possible to get hung up on little things. In some ways it is easier to remember to tithe "mint and dill and cummin" than it is to live up to the "weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity." Both are important, but not to the same degree. And the little things give us this sense of busyness that we can incorrectly interpret as productivity. They give us details on which to focus so we don't have to see the big pictures that we don't want to see.
It can be more fun to be shaken out of our minds suddenly by a special revelation from a "spirit" or by speculation about the end times. These things often become a distraction from the "weightier things" on which we know we ought to focus. Even if we correctly interpret the signs of the times and pin down exactly the day and the hour it won't do us any good if we neglect the law.
From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (cf. Prov. 4:23). Are we talking about little things? Are we talking about trivial things? How do we fill our heart with things which are really good for us? How do we ensure our speech is "only such as is good for needed edification, that it may impart grace to those who hear" (cf. Eph. 4:29)?
It would seem that the word of God itself might not be enough. After all, the little tithes and the end times are both topics in the word. But the word itself provides proper context for these, so that we don't get carried away or go beyond what is written (cf. 1 Cor. 4:6). The whole of the New Testament is about putting first things first, about seeking first the kingdom, about making Jesus the center of our lives. We hear it constantly:
To this end he has also called you through our Gospel
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When our first priority is to echo the psalmist and "Say among the nations: The LORD is king" we find that no one can deceive us. But we are human. We are all too eager to be deceived. We welcome error. We have itching ears that cannot stand sound doctrine (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3).
Fortunately, there is not just the word but also the living tradition and teaching authority of the Church to interpret it and to make sure we get it right.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, stand firm
and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught,
either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours.
Jesus wants to love us and give us "everlasting encouragement and good hope through his grace". He wants to encourage and strengthen our hearts right now. This strength and encouragement is found when he is at the center and we in his orbit. We no longer have to run from ourselves, from our inability to change ourselves, and to hide in abstractions and details. Then our every good deed and word are for him. The weightier matters of the law turn out to be our first brush with the eternal weight of glory for which we are being prepared (2 Cor. 4:17).
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