Matt 22:22-23 - Jesus and Cumin and Camels

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?

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