INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• AS we continue looking at some of the things that can ensnare us as we strive to life for Jesus, we are going to look at a subject that can really creep into our lives over a long period of time.
• I think this is one of the traps that can slowly take hold of us if we are not careful.
• Majoring in minors is something that can really damage our walk with Jesus in the sense that we can cease to develop a true relationship with Jesus because we will spend all of our time on things that are not as important as developing our relationship with Jesus.
• It will also affect our ability to impact the lives of others because our priorities will not be in the right order.
• We can easily lose sight of what is really important.
• We are going to look at another of the “woe” that Jesus bestowed upon the religious leaders of His day.
• Let’s turn to Matthew 23:23-24.
• Let us begin in Matthew 23:23
• SLIDE #2
• Matthew 23:23 (ESV)23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
• Let us begin by looking at the practice of Majoring in Minors.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. THE PRACTICE OF MAJORING IN MINORS.
• Here we go again, Jesus is going after the religious leaders once again over another issue that they were struggling with of which they seemed to have no clue concerning their struggle.
• Before we get too harsh with them, it is easy for us to not see what is happening in our own lives at times.
• Sometimes it takes someone to come alongside of us to help show us the way.
• As we look at this situation, once again Jesus called them hypocrites. Remember, a hypocrite is someone who pretends to be who they are not. Jesus knew these leaders had their stone hearts in the wrong place.
• Well, what was happening that prompted Jesus to speak on this important matter?
• In the passage Jesus said these guys were tithing off their mint, dill, and cumin. I am sure they were tithing off more, but this represented a sample of what they were doing, not to mention that these were some of the smallest and most tedious things you can count.
• Let’s briefly look at the issue of the tithe.
• A tithe means a tenth part.
• In Deuteronomy 14:22-23, the Jews were required to give one tenth of the yield of the seed that came from their field as well wine, oil, and the firstborn of the flocks and herds.
• In Leviticus 27:30 the tithe was expanded to the fruit of the trees also.
• SLIDE #4
• Leviticus 27:30 (ESV) 30 “Every tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the trees, is the LORD’s; it is holy to the LORD.
• The Pharisees expanded the tithe to include all vegetables and herbs from this passage. This may or may not have been a proper interpretation of this passage.
• The Jews were also required to give one tenth of all property to support the Levites (Priestly class since they had no inheritance in the Promised Land.) Numbers 18:20-24. Deuteronomy 14;22-24
• They also gave another tenth every third year that was given to the poor. Deuteronomy 14:28-29.
• This was sort of God’s way of taxation, to see that His work would be financed as well as taking care of the poor.
• The herbs mentioned were used for medical purposes, air fresheners and to eat.
• TAKE OUT SEEDS TO COUNT.
• Here is what was happening. The religious leaders were sitting at their tables counting out the little dill, mint and cumin seeds.
• These seeds were very small, nine for me, one for God. Nine for me, one for God.
• Can you imagine the display of holiness that was made when the tithe was turned in? Counting seeds gave the Pharisees a way to display their dedication, and holiness for all to see!
• What about us today? Are we sitting around counting seeds instead of serving?
• Are we letting religious acts be a substitute for good works?
• I do not think we sit around tithing off of little seeds, but what are we substituting for the seeds? Do we keep ourselves so busy with things that are not important? Most of what we do may be good things, but are they as important some other things that we can do?
• Let us now look at the problem with majoring in minors.
• What was Jesus really upset about?
• SLIDE #5
II. THE PROBLEM WITH MAJORING IN MINORS.
• Looking at the Pharisees, what was the real issue?
• Jesus did not condemn this practice of tithing, even on those little seeds.
• He condemned their complete neglect of the weightier matters of the law, for example, justice and mercy and faith.
• These folks were not treating the important duties of the faith with the same zeal at which they counted those silly little seeds.
• One for God, nine for me! WOW!
• Jesus borrowed the word weightier from the rabbinical tradition, which had divided the law into light and heavy categories.
• In their inverted priorities the scribes and Pharisees had reduced such matters as justice and mercy and faithfulness to the light category and elevated the tithing of garden herbs to the weightier category.
• In His reference to the truly weightier matters, Jesus paraphrased the words of Micah. Some 700 years earlier that prophet had declared,
• SLIDE #6
• Micah 6:8 (ESV): 8He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
• The hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees lay in their careful obedience to the small details of the law while they ignored larger issues that were far more important—such as dealing correctly with other people and building a relationship with God.
• The issue is attitude and focus.
• Instead of focusing on counting little seeds for God, they needed to focus on some things that were more important.
• Justice means the equitable treatment to one’s neighbor. It is being fair and reasonable with people.
• Do you think that Jesus received justice from God’s chosen people?
• Mercy is compassion and kindness to all, especially to someone you have power over. It is loving-kindness in action.
• Jesus received a lot of mercy from these guys didn’t He?
• Faithfulness is either or fidelity to one’s promises or a belief in God.
• SLIDE #7
• Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
• These people displayed NONE of these in their dealings with Jesus. They were religious though!
• The danger for us today is this, and it was the same for those very people listening to Jesus on the day He spoke the words were are examining today.
• When we are focused on the wrong thing, we will end up in the wrong place.
• It is possible to carefully obey certain details of God’s laws but still be disobedient in our general behavior.
• For example, we could be very precise and faithful about giving 10 percent of our money to the church but refuse to give one minute of our time in helping others. Tithing is important, but giving a tithe does not exempt us from fulfilling God’s other directives.
• We can read all the Christian books, listen to all the Christian music, go to all the Christian movies, go to all the Christian conferences, get a Bible College education, and listen to Christian radio, but if our focus is not on Jesus, these wonderful things will get us no where.
• These things can be the seeds we are counting out for God today. The practices should not be condemned, but if we are neglecting other things God has told us to do, then we are in trouble.
• If we are not treating others with love, it we tear into others at the slightest provocation, WE ARE COUNTING SEEDS, we are neglecting the weightier aspects of God’s law.
• All outward observances are worthless when the moral precepts of what God wants us to do are neglected.
• Instead of going to that conference, try loving your bother or showing love to one who does not know Jesus yet!
• Work on having a winsome personality. Work on being a person people love and respect. Be nice to someone!
• Let’s finish up by looking at the folly of majoring in minors
• SLIDE #8
III. THE FOLLY OF MAJORING IN MINORS.
• Let’s look at the way Jesus humorously painted a word picture for us.
• SLIDE #9
• Matthew 23:24 (ESV)24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
• Jesus graphically illustrated the scribes’ and Pharisees’ inversion of priorities by saying that they would strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
• The gnat and the camel represented the smallest and the largest, respectively of the ceremonially unclean animals (see Lev. 11:4, 42).
• The persnickety Pharisees would drink their wine through clenched teeth in order to filter out any small insects that might have gotten into the wine.
• In their typical reversal of values, those Jewish religious leaders were more concerned about being contaminated by a tiny gnat than by a huge camel.
• They were painstaking about formal, ceremonial trivialities but were unconcerned about their hypocrisy dishonesty cruelty greed, self-worship, and a host of other serious sins. They substituted outward acts of religion for the essential virtues of the heart. (MacArthur Jr.)
• Therein is the lesson for us. When we get fired up at something like what kind of millennial view we have or what spiritual gift we possess and we neglect deepening our relationship with Jesus and our fellow brother and sister in Christ, we are straining gnats and swallowing camels.
• I used to work with a person who would get all excited about her supposed spiritual gift all the while she was cursing and smoking with everyone else in the break room.
• She was straining gnats and swallowing camels.
CONCLUSION
• I have had times where I swallowed some camel. It did not taste good.
• What about you are you swallowing camels and straining gnats, are you majoring in minors?
• For the saved, now is the time to get our priorities and hearts right. For those who do not know Jesus yet, it is time to start on the path to salvation!
