The Mirror of the Word and other works by C.E. White can be purchased on her website, cewhitebooks.com or on Amazon

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

—Matthew 23:23–24

The Word tells us all the time that following a list of rules is never as important as understanding who God is and living his heart. Following his rules is important, but if our lives do not show love (1 Corinthians 13), justice, mercy, and humility (Micah 6:8), we have neglected the weightier things.

Are we trying to obey him with a formulaic list of duties like the Pharisees, or are we giving our whole hearts to him by submitting to the Spirit, serving and loving others, humbling ourselves to walk in his ways, sharing his Word and his kingdom with others, surrendering to him, and defending the weak? Are we only obeying outwardly for self–serving reasons, or are we denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following him?

The Pharisees made rules more important than people. Jesus showed that the rules were made for the good of the people. If we’re using them to hurt others, we’re using them wrongly.

If we are scrupulously tithing and appearing at church every time the doors are open, prideful of our “goodness” and holding all others to our external standard of perfection, but not walking in and sharing his steadfast love, we have strained out a gnat and swallowed a camel. We are like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. We have missed the beauty of the Father’s heart.

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