Matthew 23:23-26
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Do we focus on the outward rituals, or do we work on what matters in loving God and others? Justice, mercy, and faith with a clean heart and good conscience before God in Christ are what matter. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God we are told. So the inside must be cleansed each day as we seek forgiveness and live out each step by faith (trust) in our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, by His presence within us as the Spirit who is holy. We must daily be imitators of God and grow in grace and mercy.
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