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Jesus uses a lot of phrases of that time period to describe what the Pharisees were like. In this scathing rebuke, it’s important to understand what He was talking about so we can relate His words to the present day.
In verse 16, Jesus addresses the Pharisees’ art of lying. To swear by the temple, the altar, or heaven was not a binding oath, which meant you could effectively lie and deceive others. To swear by the gold of the temple, the gift of the altar, or by God was, in fact, binding. Jesus points out the absurdity of this law as God knows and sees all oaths. Earlier in His ministry, Jesus addressed this very issue.
34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.
Matthew 5:34, 37 NASB
In verse 23, Jesus hammers the Pharisees for paying close attention to small details while neglecting huge foundational principles. The Pharisees would tithe 1/10 of their mint, anise, and cummin (small herbs) as commanded by Lev. 27 (tithe of the land). The picture we get here is of each Pharisee individually counting out each seed to make sure their tithe is correct. The issue is not that tithing is unimportant, but rather, that they are spending so much time and effort on counting herbs instead of displaying justice, mercy, and faith. The law was designed to bring forth these bigger ideals, not micromanage people’s lives with busy work!
In verse 24, Jesus addresses their adherence to straining out gnats from their beverages. A gnat was considered the smallest of the unclean animals as described in Lev. 11:23. The camel was the largest of the unclean.
Does this still go on today? Absolutely. Anyone can follow the rules most of the time. It’s hard to love people. Loving people is messy, difficult, and opens your heart to deep pain. Showing mercy and forgiveness requires spiritual power that only comes from seeing Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The Pharisees were not only hypocrites, but they were also selfish.
Jesus came and dove into the mess of humanity with the power of humility. He used His power to serve others and empowered them to be a part of His Kingdom.