So the other day I was at a stop light… While waiting for the red to turn green I looked over and saw a vehicle that you would describe as “pimped out”… Of course, all ghetto-fabulous vehicles must include the SPINNERS!!! You know what I’m talking about - those rims which keep on spinning even when the car is stopped… Amid the moment I had an epiphany… Let me explain:

If you think of the Church as a vehicle that is advancing the gospel from point A to point B, then you would agree that the church should always be moving. In order for the gospel to advance to new people and places the Church must be “on the move.”… This is not a complex concept:

THE CHURCH SHOULD BE MOVEMENT MINDED

The problem is that that the church tends to forget that it’s point is to be “on mission.” We get so busy focussing on our own programs, our own people, and our own buildings that we complete forget about advancing the gospel. Simply stated - the church has such a tendency to be inward, not outward. This is comparable to a car that is always kept in the garage while it’s owner continually works on it… but never drives it… Isn’t the point of the car to be driven?

THE CHRUCH SHOULD NOT BE MAINTENANCE MINDED

All of us who spend a lot of time in “churchland” would agree that things are always busy… There is always an event to plan… or a sermon to preach… or a study to lead… or a bathroom to clean… or a budget to balance… or a new technology to integrate… The list goes on and on and on… However, the point of all this is that busy-ness does not equate to movement… and doing ministry does not always equate to being missional.

CHURCH IS OFTEN JUST LIKE THE SPINNER… WE LOOK BUSY BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY STANDING STILL

Brothers and sisters - if we are to truly become the Church we must fight against the tendency to become spinners. In our attempts to become refined, relevant,trendy, and cool, we cannot forget that the movement of the gospel is the point!

Is she the world’s cutest baby girl or what???

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. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

Cumin… Who’s ever heard of cumin?

Q. What is cumin?
A. A spice… a seed… a means to add flavor to your food
Q. In what part of the world does cumin originate?
A. Egypt and the Mediterranean
Q. What types of food use a lot of cumin spice?
A. Mexican and Indian

Why would Jesus mention spices like cumin?

Because in Deut 14:22-23 God commanded His people to give a tenth of all their fields produce. Obviously mint, and dill, and cumin would be something that is produced in a field. Therefore, a good Torah-observant Jew would tithe a tenth of each. But seriously… how difficult would it be to count out a tenth of all your cumin seeds? It would be SOOO hard. But the Pharisees prided themselves on meticulously adhering to the OT Law.

THE PHARISEES WERE UNBELIEVABLY COMMITTED TO OBEYING THE MINUTE DETAILS OF THE LAW.

Why did Jesus mention justice, mercy, and faithfulness?

Jesus says that the Pharisees, who were unbelievably committed to obeying the law, missed the “more important matters” of justice, mercy, and faithfulnes… He says the should have practiced the “latter” without neglecting the “former.” In essence, Jesus is setting up 2 clear categories:

1. Former = Tithing a tenth of spices (aka - issues of personal morality )
2. Latter = practicing justice, mercy, faithfulness (aka - issues of changing the world)

PERSONAL MORALITY MATTERS, BUT SO DOES THE SUFFERING OF THE WORLD

Why does Jesus conclude with gnats and camels?

Because in Lev 11:21-23 God told His people that they were NOT to eat gnats… so the Pharisees would go to great lengths to keep them out of their food. However, a few verses prior in Lev 11:4 God also told His people that camels were off limits…

What is the point of all this?

The camel is bigger than the gnat… DUH!!!

Camel = neglecting justice, mercy and faithfulness
Gnat = practicing tithes of mint, dill, and cumin

IT IS A BIGGER DEAL TO NEGLECT THE SUFFERING OF THE WORLD THAN IT IS TO PRACTICE PERSONAL MORALITY

TODAYS CHRISTIANS ARE MUCH LIKE THE PHARISEES - WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PRACTICING PERSONAL MORALITY… BUT WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF FOLLOWERS OF JESUS BECAME MORE CONSUMED WITH CARING FOR THE WORLD? WHAT IF WE STARTED LIVING OUT JUSTICE, MERCY, AND FAITHFULNESS? WHAT IF OUR CHRISTIAN FOCUS BECAME OUTWARD RATHER THAN INWARD?

This is my favorite moment of 2007