Money and monetary gifts are important as they allow the acquisition of other things. In the gift giving seasons, we make it a habit to give expensive items to “show” how much we care for the other. Where it is good and right to “show” that we care for others and provide for their monetary needs, it is their other needs that should be of more concern for us.
“23Woe 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. 24You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” — Matthew 23:23-24 (ESV)
Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees here and giving them a basic scolding on the lack of actions that they take while telling others they should be more mindful to do the right things. Jesus is explaining to them that they are the proverbial “do as I say” people. In the above verses, Jesus exclaims the woe in their actions of giving some “monetary” gifts (as spices where used as currency in this time) and yet they were neglecting the more thoughtful and useful gifts of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
It is easy to simply “cut a check” for something and difficult to provide something more. I look at those who do charity work and those who are credited with charity work. Those donors are celebrated for providing for the charity work to be done, yet when the work really needs to be done, they are off jet setting around the world and are not bothered with getting their hands dirty. Those who do the work are struggling to get by financially, but are living the high life thanks to their giving of themselves and the fulfillment that comes with it.
Now I am not saying that the giving monetarily is not needed, as I noted above, this is how the purchase of goods and services come about. But as Jesus says, “the weightier matters of the law; justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” It is the giving of these gifts to support the whole of the others that is more important than the monetary.
Mercy is better than money. Justice is better than money. Faithfulness is better than money. Each of these provide more to the individual than money and they demonstrate more thoughtful and sincere giving than just cutting the check. I have to remember to give of myself and not just of my pocketbook. I have to provide for the other needs of the individual and not just the monetary needs.
What gifts have you given simply because they were easy? Are you neglecting the other needs of the individuals? What if you gave the easy and then provided for the more difficult “weightier matters” in the individual’s lives, “justice and mercy and faithfulness”?
Trevor's Thoughts 