Straining at a Gnat...the Wayfarer

Straining at a Gnat

 

Matthew 23:23-24 KJV

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

 

Today I am compelled to return to the 23d chapter of Matthew, and the words spoken there by Christ Jesus to those gathered in His presence, some to hear his teachings, others there solely for the purpose of attempting to discredit those teachings as was seen in the previous chapter.

Misdirection and obfuscation were the intent and order of the day for those who sought to continue to protect and propagate their own position, as well as to keep the masses under subjugation while increasing their own stature and wealth among them.

Tenets of law were expounded, questions of law were asked for the possibility that elaboration would lead to any statement by which Christ could be found in violation of those tenets, though the laws that were expounded were modifications of God’s laws that breached no modification.

So it remains today as gnats are strained at, continually, with those gnats ever brought to the forefront of attention in order to allow the swallowing of camels in their place.

I began the opening scripture with that 23d verse to call to light where the attention of those being so misdirected should be focused.

The weightier matters of law, God’s law, judgment, mercy and faith, constitute a far better basis on which to build than the minor and inconsequential matters that attention is given when the loudest, and wealthiest attempt to direct attention on them.

Media, press, airwaves, all means of communication are being used to direct attention away from the true issues that confront this world spinning ever closer to a predestined conclusion, while petty and weightless matters are broached to prevent their truth from being recognized.

Judgment, mercy and faith!

Not the judgment exercised by fallible men, but the infallible judgment of God Himself needs to be given credence and heed.

Mercy, both His and that required of us to be eligible for His mercy need to be shouted to all instead of being submersed in the mercilessness that plagues all sides of every argument provoked and promoted by the prestidigitators that lead, and seek to lead, both in secular position, and in the positions of power within the “religious” community.

Faith, most of all, is little noted, little recognized, for its ever increasing value that exceeds that of every promise, and exceeds the value of any precious metal or jewel to be found upon a puny spinning ball that is itself merely a gnat in the greater scheme of the plan of its Creator.

All of the prestidigitation serves a single purpose, to divert those seeing the magic show from the truth!

All of that prestidigitation cannot hide the truth when it is sought.

 

 

Matthew 23

King James Version (KJV)

23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,

7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!

17 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.

19 Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

20 Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.

21 And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.

22 And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.

33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:

35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

 

Jesus bade us to know the truth, gave us that truth and remains that truth for each willing to know it!

 

John 8:25-36King James Version (KJV)

25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The freedom offered remains available to those choosing the WAY, TRUTH and LIFE.  Camels cannot be swallowed without willingness to swallow them, nor will gnats be strained at by those acknowledging the camels being foisted on them in their place.

The time has come to consider the weightier matters that override the considerations offered in their stead.

Matters of soul, and eternity will always remain far weightier than the false matters expounded by men.

Blind eyes need to be opened, but may only be opened by choice, the same is true of ears that refuse to hear.

Sight has been given, hearing has been granted, but only through Christ Jesus, and only for those willing to accept that gift of sight and hearing… the gift of grace and Truth, judgment and mercy, given only through faith IN HIM instead of the prestidigitatiors.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer