Tuesday August 25th: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

“You have neglected the weightier matters…”

Matt. 23:23-26

In the readings this week, we hear Jesus focusing his ire and indignation on the scribes and the Pharisees. Today, His “Alas for you…” is directed against those who insist on mere religious practice yet forget mercy. He strongly calls them out: “You have neglected the weightier matters of the Law – justice, mercy, good faith!

Like all of us, the Lord cannot stand hypocrisy. The religious were sticklers for the minute details while ignoring the person and their humanity. They were okay with living by the letter of the law, minus its spirit – Jesus was not.

Alas, we cannot claim innocence. We too can become sticklers, scrupulously attending to the little things as we reach for the easy spiritual wins, when a holistic approach is the ideal.

At the heart, I believe Jesus is saying, don’t sweat the small stuff. Maybe, being a good Christian lies simply in extending grace to our fellow pilgrims in this thing called life. The fullness of the law is realized in the practice of love.