Mint and Dill and Cummin
Posted by: forthrightmag <forthrightmag@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Straight to the Cross
In case you missed Barbara Oliver's final entry,
Home Again, Home Again, here's the link:
forthright.antville.org/stories/613499/
COLUMN: Field Notes
Mint and Dill and Cummin
by Michael E. Brooks
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have
neglected the weightier matters of the law:
justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are
the things you should have done without neglecting
the others (Matt. 23:23).
What are our herbs? Do we have special hang-ups
on certain must-do routines or rituals that matter
a lot more to us than they may to God? Jesus
recognizes that there is value in tithing, even to
the minute level practiced by the Pharisees, yet
he makes it plain that other things are much more
important. His point is that we must major in
majors, without neglecting the things of somewhat
less significance. The lesson is very plain. But
how often do we think to ask ourselves whether we
have learned the lesson and are applying it in our
own walk?
On my last trip to Bangladesh I was able to
arrange for some more furnishings for the office
at Khulna Bible College. The big item was a wall
of bookshelves. Weeks were spent in purchasing and
seasoning the lumber, planing and cutting it, then
putting the shelves together, fitting them, and
finally sanding and staining. Finally they were in
place and books were at last shelved and available
to students and staff. During this process I found
myself frequently visiting the areas where the
work was being done, checking on progress.
Completion of the project was a cause of
celebration.
Now, looking back I have to grin a little
sheepishly and ask, wasn't that a lot of fuss
over just some shelves? They are just wood; they
don't really matter. How true. Thankfully, all
our time and attention was not devoted to the
shelves. Classes were taught, human needs were
served, and much preaching was done, resulting in
almost ninety baptisms and the planting of three
new churches.
There are two lessons in this. First, even things
of secondary significance must be done.
Bookshelves are needed. In our local congregations
these lesser matters may include our buildings,
our budgets, and the organization of programs and
activities. Few organizations can exist or
flourish without such. A program is not as
important as human souls or even the physical
needs of the poor and helpless, but that does not
mean it cannot be of value. There is time and
place for the lesser things.
The second and more important lesson is, however,
that we must insure that these lesser matters
don't interfere with what is truly important.
Meeting budgets, acquiring or improving buildings,
organizing programs, and many similar activities
are necessary things in churches today. They
should not be neglected. But they are not the main
thing. Preaching the gospel to the lost, exalting
God, and serving the unfortunate remain the
primary missions of the church. It is so easy for
us to become so engrossed in taking care of the
everyday routines that we loose sight of the big
picture. We forget what the real goal of all those
activities is. When that happens we become like
the scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day, and we
should expect the same condemnation Woe unto
you, Hypocrites!
----
Read this article online, tell us what you think,
see who's commenting, click here:
forthright.antville.org/stories/613505/
----
You can help us get the word out. Here's how:
forthright.antville.org/stories/340415/