INTRODUCTION

Hypocrites often reveal themselves as detail oriented people. However, though they might notice something small and insignificant, they often fail to recognize the extremely obvious necessities of faithful service. When dealing with the hypocrites of His day, the Lord Jesus declared this very truth. The hypocrites paid tithes of mint, anise, and cummin but omitted judgment, mercy, and faith (Matthew 23:23Woe 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.
See All...). They would “strain at a gnat,” but “swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:24Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
See All...). They were obedient in the strictest sense of their religion in certain aspects, but oblivious to their disobedience in the more obvious areas of life. Even today, a hypocrite often becomes overzealous in his obedience in one area of life while failing to recognize his rebellion in other important areas.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): The Jews would not work on the sabbath. They found fault with Jesus because He healed people on the sabbath. Jesus pointed out that they helped animals on the sabbath and rightly so. People in need should be helped also (Luke 13:10-17 [10] And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. [11] And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. [12] And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. [13] And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. [14] And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. [15] The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? [16] And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day? [17] And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
  See All...; Luke 14:1-6 [1] And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. [2] And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. [3] And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? [4] And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; [5] And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? [6] And they could not answer him again to these things.
  See All...).
• (For everyone): Do you work hard to be obedient in smaller matters while ignoring your rebellion to weightier commands? What was the Lord’s counsel to the hypocrites? What should you do?
• Do you work hard to perform the letter of the law (tithe of mint, anise, and cummin) while completely ignoring the spirit of the law (judgment, mercy, faith)?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to help you avoid the errors of the hypocrite.
• Ask God to help you obey the smaller and weightier matters.

HYMN

I Surrender All

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