Much
of what is made of examples is supposedly on the basis of the
authority of scripture. But, what do we learn as to how Jesus
did/would respond to the introduction by Israel of elements of
devotion and worship? I have heard the expected carnal dismissal
concerning the introduction of mechanical instruments (DO NOT go
there at this time.) of worship by David.
Yet,
here is another instance in which Jesus refers to something
introduced by Israel as being on par with the law God gave through
Moses.
“Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill,
and cumin,†† and
have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy,
and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the
other undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a
gnat, and swallow a camel!
I
do not believe (I'm relying on my general knowledge as best I can
recall and admit this is not a subject I have expended time in study.
I would welcome the correction and the enlightenment on this point.)
tithing of spices was ever commanded for Israel to observe as part of
their giving. What is SIGNIFICANT is that Jesus does not condemn the
Pharisees for having INSTITUTED and PRACTICING this tithing of
spices, effectively, an addition to the law. What IS also significant
is that Jesus' indictment of the Pharisees was that they had settled
with the compromise of fulfilling a meager tithing of spices while
leaving "undone the weightier matters of the law." Jesus,
in the midst of delivering a strong indictment on the Pharisees did
not neglect to commend them on their tithing EVEN IF IT WAS NOT as
prescribed by the law.
How
does this relate to how saints handle examples as binding or not
binding, today? It is when most of those examples are like "mint,
dill and cumin" while the "justice, mercy and faith,"
are like the weightier matters of the law and which go undone.
It's
like giving (that is, "tithing") our singing (w/ or w/out
mechanical instruments) while remaining woefully inept to DO and
SPEAK justice, mercy and faith. It goes undone with our brothers and
sisters in Christ who SPEAK the same language much less those outside
of the kingdom who do not know or speak justice, mercy and faith or
the language of the kingdom of God. The reason for the ineptness is
because their is no need for any dependence and reliance on the Holy
Spirit to guide our minds and give us words of life in that moment.
The
claim from saints, like the Pharisees, that they are all about pure
and sound doctrine, not adding or taking from the word and following
the authority of every example in the NT is self-deception. Jesus
unflinchingly described the Pharisees as blind. Elsewhere, he played
along with their own self-justification and _ their own self-incurred
condemnation: Jesus
said to them,
“If
you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’
Therefore your sin remains.
The
concern about our use of examples as reference points of authority
and subsequent condemnation of fellow saints in Christ. It leaves
much room to learn, if we only would, from Jesus how he handled those
those things which some saints feel compelled to tear down their
brother, their sister and the body of Christ.
Let
us do the weightier matters of justice, mercy and faith as disciples
of Jesus being full of the Spirit.
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