Matthew 23:23-28 Mint, Dill, and Cumin
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 2, 2019 Matthew 23:23-28
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
(Understanding the Text) This section of the woes focuses on outward obedience without inward purity. The first two woes focused on the actions that kept others from reaching God and corrupting those who do come to a knowledge of the scriptures. The second woes deal with focusing on our own actions for God rather than on God Himself. Now, these woes focus on outward obedience masking inward corruption.
The tithing speaks to us today. We may feel self-righteous because we are careful to tithe because many other Christians do not, but tithing is simply a given rather than something special. Tithing is important in that it is required of us, but justice, mercy, and faithfulness are the deeper requirements. These woes deal with treating others well and being people that others can trust because we consistently trust God.
(Revelation of God) God is not interested in forced or surface obedience. He is interested in us learning to love and trust Him so much that we obey because we know that He is only interested in our well-being. He does not give a do or a don’t arbitrarily. He gives His commands because He loves us, and He wants us to trust in His love and love Him back. We don’t obey first, and then we love. We love first, and then we obey because we know and love God.
(Application) We cannot judge ourselves by our own outward actions. Instead, we must look at our attitudes about those actions. Are we full of greed and self-indulgence, or are we full of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Are we full of hypocrisy and lawlessness while maintaining the appearance of living according to the law, or are we full of love for God and our fellow man while living according to the law? The outside was clean. There was nothing wrong with tithing mint and looking righteous. The problem was that the insides needed to match the outsides. It is not enough to legalistically follow the truth. We have to let the truth inside us to transform us. We have to choose to let Jesus live in us through His Spirit and be directed by Him. Do we sing at the nursing home, go to vigils and church, participate in events at the park, and share religious memes because that’s what Christians do, or because that’s what the Spirit living in us directs us to do? Where is the focus? On my works, or on God’s works? On working my way through my efforts to heaven, or on living in a relationship with God now here on earth.
(Prayer) I pray that I will never lose focus on You. Help me to see You more clearly and be transformed by Your Spirit. I can’t love well, whether it is You or my fellow human beings. I pray for the love that You require of me. Give it to me because I don’t have it. I don’t understand it, but I know it’s there and that You love me completely. I pray for the kind of love You want me to love, and I pray that it won’t hurt too much. I’m scared of loving people because they are flawed, and they hurt me.