thinking bible.

You asked

where do we see institutions or rules today that seem to have forgotten their original purpose?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Matthew 23:23-24

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected 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. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

This passage comes from Jesus's strong critique of religious leaders during his ministry. He is speaking to a crowd and his disciples, challenging the legalistic practices of some scribes and Pharisees who meticulously followed minor rules while overlooking the core ethical principles of the Jewish Law.

How might focusing on the 'weightier matters' help us re-evaluate the purpose of the rules and structures we encounter today?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Micah 6:8

    This prophet summarises what God requires: 'to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God'.

  • Isaiah 1:11-17

    Isaiah critiques elaborate religious rituals when the people neglect justice for the vulnerable.

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