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I envy people who are good at the game of
Trivial Pursuit. They have a mind and memory for detail that must
give them a great advantage in life over people like me. I sometimes
can't remember the name of a friend, or where I put my glasses.
Like all other strengths, however, a capacity
for trivia can become a weakness if not kept in check. Jesus
described the dangers of getting lost in details when telling the
Pharisees that a fault of their religion was to major on minor
issues. Luke 11:42 says, "But woe to you Pharisees! For you
tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and
the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the
others undone." In other words, the little things have their
place as long as we don't let them get in the way of the more
important issues.
The Pharisees were the logicians of Judaism.
They made a science of carrying the Law to its logical conclusions.
They prided themselves in their ability to think a matter through
down to the smallest detail. When they tithed, for instance, they
gave a percentage of all their increase. If they owed God a tenth of
the harvest, they would give God 10 percent of everything, including
their herbs, even though the Law specifically said that it was not
necessary to do so.
The Pharisees' willingness to do more than
what was required was not bad. Their mistake was that in attending to
details they forgot to love. According to Jesus, that means they
ended up missing the whole point of the Law (Matt. 22:37-40).
The Pharisees were like the man who goes to
the auto dealer to buy a new car. While there, he notices some
accessories that seem to be just what he needs to add a touch of
class to his new "wheels." An hour later he leaves the
showroom with a smile, clutching his purchase of a coffee mug, dash
compass, map holder, and manufacturer's key chain. Like the
Pharisees, he leaves with more than he came for--and less. With
trinkets in hand, he gets in his old car and heads for home.
Religion, as good and necessary as it is, can
fill us up with lesser details that easily get the better part of our
attention. What makes the problem difficult to detect is that the
process of getting good at the fine points of Bible study, prayer, or
giving can feel like it's working when it isn't. There is no
substitute for a heart of love and justice that reflects a right
relationship with God Himself.
A few years after Christ, the apostle Paul
repeated Jesus' teaching to distracted Christians in Corinth. He made
it clear that even spiritual gifts, knowledge, faith, and
self-sacrifice are trivial pursuits if done without the love of God
(1 Cor. 13).
Curtis
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