The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter

Yeshua said something we should take careful note of in our spiritual walk with God.

“Woe to you hypocritical Torah-teachers and P’rushim! You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah — justice, mercy, trust. These are the things you should have attended to — without neglecting the others! Matthew 23:23. “You keep examining the Tanakh because you think that in it you have eternal life. Those very Scriptures bear witness to me, but you won’t come to me in order to have life!”” John 5:39-40

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the details surrounding something, such as performing good behavior, that we overlook the heart of the matter which is how to personally have a relationship with God and be good people. We should acknowledge that despite having some good beliefs and practices in some areas of life we could still greatly fall short spiritually in other ways when the core focus of our faith is off. Yeshua made it clear pointing out that the need to care for others does not mean one should discard the laws of God, but that there are spiritual priorities and if you neglect others you cannot really serve God.

The Jewish teacher Paul also made it clear. “I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don’t have love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 But it seems many believers have gotten this backwards, and act as if love is nothing and knowledge of doctrine is everything. Rather than seeing justice, mercy and faithfulness as the weightier matters many treat those as minor matters in favor of knowledge. And knowledge is good but that alone is not enough.

We should be careful not to make the same mistakes as some of the Torah teachers did in the past by reducing true religion to observing correct rituals such as Sabbath keeping and view sin avoidance as simply a matter of refraining from doing bad things while not ignoring that sin is not simply defined as breaking laws but as neglecting to do good. “Whoever knows what is right but doesn’t do it is sinning.” James 4:17. You cannot truly obey the laws of God without showing the love for God in your life.

“Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:10. Talking about how to help those who are suffering in society is not the being distracted from the truth of scripture, ignoring it is. Thinking about serving others more is not a distraction from the law of God; it is the law of God and it matter that you keep it. The Torah says “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5.

And the Lord of the Torah teaches, “Don’t be corrupt when administering justice. Never give special favors to poor people, and never show preference to important people. Judge your neighbor fairly…Never get revenge. Never hold a grudge against any of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:15-18 Don’t forget the importance have having correct doctrine, but in seeking correct doctrine don’t neglect the importance of having a correct heart.

Picture originally found here

Related Articles

More From Grafted Contrary

Peace of Mind

On the way to work I would see the sign, “We Sell Peace of Mind.”
Peace of Mind

Why Do We Sin?

Many believers in Yeshua want to do well but don’t always do it as well-meaning as they are.
Why Do We Sin?

Why do we Have the Bible

It may seem like an odd question if you are already a Believer until you consider that the…
Why do we Have the Bible

Jewish Hospitality

When everyone is so busy it is hard to make time to invite someone for a meal or any other…
Jewish Hospitality

Eternal Light

One of the things you may find in traditional Jewish synagogue is the Eternal Light which is a…
Eternal Light

How Are We Speaking?

I have noticed that sometimes faith communities who believe in the Bible can come to have a…
How Are We Speaking?

The Love of God Compels Us

We are saved by God's love for us and in turn our love for God draws us to follow Him.
The Love of God Compels Us

The Path of Life or Death

Sometimes following Yeshua can seem like a difficult decision to make and it indeed can be, but…
The Path of Life or Death

How to Pick a Date

“Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her (Ruth), ‘My daughter, shall I not seek security for…
How to Pick a Date

Lord, Lord, Have We Not...?

There is a very interesting and also troubling passage about the judgment at the end of the…
Lord, Lord, Have We Not...?

Israel, Figs, and Your Soul

Figs are very significate in Jewish culture. The fig is one of the seven varieties of foods…
Israel, Figs, and Your Soul

Merciful Truth

The Jewish King, Solomon, provided us with the book of Proverbs.
Merciful Truth

Life Advice

I was on Facebook one day and I saw a quote. I don’t remember the name of the person who posted…
Life Advice
Selfie?

Selfie?

Selfies are getting a lot of attention these days. We see them in our Facebook newsfeeds; we…
Selfie?

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation