Daily Verse
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Justice and Mercy
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Thursday's Reflection
Matthew 23:23 — Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.
Jesus calls out a problem that's still everywhere in religious life: getting the small things exactly right while completely missing the big ones. The Pharisees carefully tithed their garden herbs — counting out every tenth leaf of mint — but ignored justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus doesn't say the small things don't matter. He says they had their priorities backwards: straining out gnats while swallowing camels.
It's worth asking where we do the same. You can be perfectly punctual at church and dishonest at work. You can memorize Scripture and gossip about people. You can give generously to missions while being harsh with your own family. You can defend correct doctrine while showing no compassion to someone who's struggling.
Jesus calls the things He lists — justice, mercy, faith — the "weightier matters." Not because the details are worthless, but because they're meant to rest on a foundation of these bigger things. When we get the foundation right, the details fall into place. When we obsess over details and ignore the foundation, we've missed the whole point.
Prayer: Lord, show us where we're getting the small things right but missing the big ones. Help us put justice, mercy, and faith first. Amen.