“Woe to you...hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23).
Heavenly Father, You see the motives of our hearts. "You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed" (Psalm 119:4), but You do not desire that we merely observe religious practices. Instead, You call us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).
Throughout Scripture Lord, we see Your concern for justice, mercy and faithfulness. Time and again, You instruct Your people to demonstrate justice, fairness and integrity.
You have given instructions that address life as a whole, "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another" (Zechariah 7:9). And in Your wisdom and understanding of human nature, You call our attention to specific areas: "Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy...Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin" (Deuteronomy 24:14-15).
Father, help us to take to heart the admonition from our Lord Jesus (Matthew 23:23). Help us to understand that we can only bring sincere offerings to You when we are truly committed to loving others through actions of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Remind us that "whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen" (1 John 4:20).
You challenge us to go past mere "motions", and rote actions. To examine our hearts for pride, and self-serving motives, and to guard against our tendency towards checking off boxes. Lord, deliver us from the evil of hypocrisy. Help us to "consider [our] ways" and "to turn [our] steps to Your statutes" (Psalm 119:59).
In our everyday dealings with others, help us to be fair, just, and honest; sincerely seeking to apply Your instructions in our circumstances and in our relationships. In all our work and in all our transactions, help us not to withhold what is required or delay what is due. Help us to be people of integrity "who honor those who fear the Lord; who keep an oath even when it hurts, and [who] do not change their mind" (Psalm 15:4).
Teach us how to bring You sincere and fragrant offerings from the heart.
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