“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!”

Matthew 23:23–24

 
“What does it matter if I haven’t done the dishes in a decade? I have been a good husband, I have never broken the vow I made on our wedding day and I never will.” Jim slammed the door as he went to cool off on a muggy summer evening. Gina collapsed on the couch looking at the long shadows stretching across the living room rug. She hated that oriental rug. The way the deep burgundy twisted and swirled around golden flowers looked nearly as confusing as her marriage.
 
“Jim was right” Gina thought to herself, there is not on part of our wedding vows that he has ever broken. He provides well for our family, he even stuck with me through my two year struggle with cancer. His faithfulness never once waivered and so what is the problem?
 
Gina rolled to her side and brushed at the tear making its way down her cheek. She knew exactly what the problem was, Jim fulfilled his vows, but offered little else. Tenderness, passion, kindness, and love were but distant dreams in a sea of reality. Gina longed for these things from her husband, without him neglecting his vows. The half-hearted devotion Jim offered did little to nourish the wholehearted love Gina longed for.
 
In Matthew 23, Jesus proclaims seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees. The fourth woe shows these religious leaders tithing faithfully, but neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Jesus says to them, “These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.”
 
As Christians we are called to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Luke 10:27). We must not limit our love for God to just the areas that benefit us or the areas we feel comfortable with. The Pharisees were happy to give tithes, as long as they did not have to show mercy (Luke 18:11), they were pleased to pray, as long as it raised them up (Matthew 6:5).
 
We are much more comfortable with a half-hearted devotion to God, a devotion that doesn’t make us too uncomfortable, cost us too much, or change us too drastically. This kind of love, this half-hearted devotion, will only ever lead to a half-helpful faith. If you want peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7), faith that moves mountains (Matthew 17:20), and a love that knows no bounds (Romans 8:38-39), then we need a whole-hearted devotion and love for God. 
 

Father, forgive me for when I am satisfied with a half-hearted devotion to you. Forgive me for when I am satisfied with only offering you part of my life. May my whole life be an offering to you and my desire be for you. You are worthy Lord of my whole life, may my life be pleasing to you.

What areas of your life could Jesus say, “these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others”. (Ex. 1. You ought to have shared the Gospel without neglecting good works; 2. You ought to have been involved in the community without neglecting the church. 3. You ought to share grace without neglecting repentance.) What would it look like for this area of your life to be lived for God?