The Weightier Matters of the Law
The Weightier Matters of the Law THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS OF THE LAW
By E. W. McMillan.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye tithe mint and anise and cummin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, mercy, and faith”. The author of the above quotation is the miracle-working Jesus. His power over nature was shown when he calmed the sea, he proved his power over demons by casting them out; he demonstrated his power over disease by healing the sick, and the resurrection of Lazarus proved his power over death. But the greatest miracle of all is the power of his gospel over the lost and the faith it inspires in the saved. This all-powerful, miracle-working Savior is our authority that some things in his law are weightier than other things in his law. Put in language more in keeping with our own usage, some things in his law are more important than other things in his law. Those who stressed the less important and neglected the others were called by Jesus “blind guides”, “hypocrites”, “whited sepulchres”, and they are said to have been full of extortion and corruption. What, then, did Jesus count as the more essential things of his law? Tithing was not one of them. The Pharisees were tithing to the last point; but because they stressed this above certain other things, Jesus said they were hypocrites and blind guides.
Justice was a most important thing. But what is justice? If we could have all the evidence in a given case and could weigh that evidence with perfect hon-esty; and if we could then know all the law pertaining to that case and could be able to render a verdict that is perfectly fair in the light of the law and the evidence, that verdict would be justice. Therefore, all biased judgments, all ignorance of the law, and all cases where only a part of the evidence is given shade away from justice. I have heard severe attacks made upon brethren, and reports have been whispered about an opponent; I have heard and read many discussions upon religious themes, wherein it would be admitted by many that the truth had suffered for the lack of sincerity in both speakers, but in none such cases have I heard that a man was called to account before the church for injustice. Though gross injustice was apparent to both a fellow-man and the truth of God, no reckoning seemed thought of. Again, many courses have been offered in Bible study, and many topics have been used in sermons, but who has offered the course or preached the sermon exclusively on the subject of justice? Yet Jesus has said it is one of the most important things in his religion. Justice—justice to our bodies, justice to our souls, justice to our neighbors, justice to our Bibles and justice to our God.
Mercy, also, is a most essential thing. When justice has been discovered in a given case and the punishment based upon the known facts is ready to be administered, mercy steps forwlard and pleads for leniency. Pleading for the erring is the mission of mercy. Out of it grow’ patience, longsuffering, for-bearance, and forgiveness. We have heard many ser-mons which pictured the punishment of God for in-fractions of his law, but how many sermons have de-clared his mercy? Many times, we have been judges over brethren and have criticised their teachings and their deeds, but how many of us have been outstanding for the mercy we showed? Yet Jesus said that those who were otherwise were blind guides and were as full of corruption as the grave is of decaying bones.
Faith, too, is a weightier matter. It was faith that “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, waxed mighty in war, and put to flight the armies of the aliens”. It was through faith that “women received their dead by a resurrection”, that others “endured scourgings, bonds, and imprisonments”, that others endured when caused to wander “in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the holes of the earth”, and of whom, “the world was not worthy.” It is “by faith” that we are justified, because of which “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Though the chosen of God in this world were the poor, they are praised by him for being “rich in faith.” If any would ask why Abraham was willing to leave his far away Mesopotamian home and journey that long distance to Canaan, camping a lifetime in tents, why he was willing to offer his son, Isaac, in sacrifice to God, and how his name has become so famed in the sacred text, the answer is simple. He had faith in God. If it be asked how Jesus could turn water to wine, heal the sick, walk on the sea and raise the dead; if it be questioned further how he could give himself over to enemies to be killed, yet, in the doors of death, predicate his divinity on the fact that he would rise from the dead, it can be answered only that he had faith in His Father. With admiration, we have stood aghast and amaze as we read of the apostle Paul, how he was “in labors more abundantly” than all the other apostles, “in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure”, and “in deaths oft”; how he was whipped three times with thirty-nine stripes; how he was beaten thrice with rods, once was stoned, thrice suffered shipwreck, and how on the thirteenth day of a driving storm at sea he could say to all on board, “Be of good cheer for we shall all be saved”. We have marvelled how he could endure “in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my countrymen, in perils among the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren ; in labors and travails, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness”. But the apostle explained it all when he said, “The just shall live by faith.”
What was it that led the Ethiopian eunuch to leave the baptismal waters (Acts 8:38-39) rejoicing? It could have been nothing but faith in his Lord’s promise—“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Having believed and been baptized, he had the right to trust the promise “shall be saved.” Furthermore, that which should lead the person now to be baptized; and that which should lead the Christian to prayer, to Bible study, and to consecration in the holy, Christian life is faith in his Master’s promise—“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” And lastly, though not given by Jesus in the text of this sermon, there remains one more weightier matter which He later revealed through his Holy Spirit. “Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three, and the greatest of these is love.” It matters nothing how many kingdoms one may conquer nor how many sick one may cure unless he is prompted by love. It is of no avail in heaven for one to seek justice, show mercy, or have faith unless his heart is mellowed in love. “Above all these things, put on love.” Again, of that triple alli-ance which stands as guard to our souls, “The greatest of these is love.”
The person who goes in the pursuit and practice of justice, and who also is full of mercy; who, further-more, in implicit faith, seeks to obey his Lord, and finally, whose every act is ruled by love can well be said to be looking after the weightier matters of the law.