MATTHEW 23:23 Yes, woe upon you, Pharisees, and you other religious leaders—hypocrites! For you tithe down to the last mint leaf in your garden, but ignore the important things—justice and mercy and faith. [Living Bible translation]
Justice: Moral rightness in action and attitude; righteousness; upholding what is just; the quality of being just or fair;
Mercy: Compassionate treatment, especially toward those under one's power, clemency; a disposition to forgive or show compassion.
Faith: Faith "is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us." Heb. 11:11[Living Bible]
Summary: According to Mosaic Law, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees," belonged to the Lord. (Leviticus 27:30). The tithe was called "the offering of the firstfruit." It was a religious obligation to give one-tenth of the first fruit of the land for the support of the temple, the priesthood and to help the poor. Deuteronomy 14:22 states "the purpose of tithing is to teach [us] always to put God first in [our] lives." The Pharisees were proud of their "strict" adherence to the "letter of the law," but they failed miserably in adhering to the "spirit of the law." In ignoring the spirit of the law, they missed the purpose of tithing entirely. Instead of offering the tithe as "belonging to the Lord" and as a way of acknowledging that GOD "was first" in their lives, some of the Pharisees and religious leaders used the act of tithing to "promote themselves" and to elevate themselves over those who had less to give. The tithe became a "status symbol." It was a way of showing others how important they were. It became a measuring stick for looking up to some and looking down on others. Some of the religious leaders even went so far as to see the tithe as "theirs," completely ignoring the needs of the poor, the widows and others in need. As part of the temple leadership, they simply took the tithe for themselves. There was no compassion at all for the poor, who begged daily outside the temple wall or inside the various temple gates. Others failed to understand that the tithe was an "offering of thanks to GOD" or saw it as "just a task." They gave begrudgingly. They did not want to give GOD "too much." They lacked faith. Because JESUS knew the hearts of these Pharisees and religious leaders, HE called them "hypocrites." Their actions "looked" pious, but their hearts were foul. They prided themselves in "strictly" adhere to the law, (even going so far as to try to tithing down to the last mint leaf), but completely missed the true meaning of tithing altogether (ignoring the truly important things ---like justice, mercy and faith). Their attitudes were all wrong. Their intentions were bad. They did not have "THE SPIRIT" of tithing in their hearts.
MINT
Although the Bible does not specify which mint was referenced in Mathew 23:23, some speculate that perhaps the mint was Egyptian mint, which was often used for its aroma, for its sweet flavor and may have even been used over doorways, in kitchen widows or even thrown on dirt floors to mask unpleasant smells, much like an air freshener.
Mint has also been valued for its medicinal qualities. One of the most frequently cited benefit of mint tea is that it aid digestion and relieves indigestion. Peppermint, which contains menthol, from peppermint oil, is known for its beneficial effects. According to www.helpwithcooking.com, some of the other medicinal qualities of mint include:
- Relieves symptoms of indigestion, heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome by relaxing the muscles in and around the intestine.
- Acts as an antioxidant.
- Inhibits the growth of many different types of bacteria and fungus.
- Eases and unblocks the breathing and respiratory passages and airways.
- Relieves the symptoms of colds and flu.
- Mint can help with nasal allergies.
- It can relieve congestion, head colds and headaches.
- Acts as a mild sedative and has calming properties.
- Relieves minor aches and pains such as muscle cramps and sprains.
- Combats bad breath.
- Provides a cooling sensation to the skin and can help to treat minor burns, itching and skin irritations.
- Mint is a very good cleanser for the blood.
- Mint tea can help clear up skin disorders such as acne.
Mint is a great appetizer and palate cleanser. It is a natural stimulate—it gets you going, which is why in addition, to combating bad breathe, it is often added to toothpastes. Many find mint teas (e.g. peppermint) as stimulating as coffee, only without the caffeine.
The following are some simple recipes that include fresh mint:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/watermelon-blueberry-salad
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/05/02/sweet-cucumber-and-orange-salad-recipe
http://thoughtfulkitchen.com/2010/09/honeydew-with-lime-and-mint/
THE INSIDE
Let us pray that GOD helps us to understand and do what is REALLY important. Let us be as thoughtful and mindful about tithing, justice, mercy and faith as we are about the foods we eat. Let us ask GOD to show and teach us how to live from the" inside out" in obedience to HIS HOLY SPIRIT instead of wanting so much to have what is "outside " come "in."
Let us all pray for a "clean heart" and "right spirit" (Psalms 52:10) and BE BLESSED!
