1684. Accused Vs. Excusing
Accused Vs. Excusing
"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the Temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the Temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the Temple that sanctifieth the gold?" (Mat_23:16-17).
This "accusing" and "excusing" method was folly indeed. Christ explained what they should have already known. The gold which they brought into their treasury, was not sanctified at all, saving for the fact that it was in the Temple, dedicated to Divine use; the Temple was that which was holy; it was the Temple which sanctified the gold.
Again the Pharisees said:
"Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty" (Mat_23:18).
This, again, was abject folly, and utter blindness. It was the altar that was holy. The gift, before it was placed upon the altar, was not holy; the altar, therefore, sanctified the gift.
This all shows us how easy it is to undervalue the things that are vital, and to overvalue the minor things.
The Pharisees placed the emphasis upon the gift and the gold because these were things that more directly concerned men. The Temple and the altar stood for God, they gave God the precedence.
There were two tables of stone, written with the finger of God. The first contained four Commandments, duties toward God; the second contained six Commandments, duties toward men.
The unregenerate, the world over, place the stress upon the observance of the Commandments upon the second stone.
Many there are who say: "My religion is to love my neighbor as myself." God, however, says: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deu_6:5). This is the first and great Commandment.
Why do men place this false estimate? Simply this–men are far more concerned in themselves, than in God. They obey man rather than God; they prefer man to God. Their motto is, "Man first, and then God," or else, "Man first and all the time, and God never."
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR