Would you treat a molehill like a mountain? Ridiculous, right? But have I ever blown anything out of proportion? Have I ever reacted like it was “the end of the world” when something went wrong that turned out to be a temporary problem?
Can you relate? Is it possible to do this in our spiritual life also? Jesus challenged His listeners about this in Matthew 23 (NIV)
23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, 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. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Jesus reprimanded the religious leaders of His day because they were majoring on minor issues. They were focused on the wrong things, and in so doing ignored the most important things!
Lord, help me to evaluate whether I have fallen into the same trap of focusing on the minor issues to the exclusion of the most important ones. Remind me to make loving God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength and loving my neighbor as myself my central focus!