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: these ye aught to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matthew 23:24
Mint- used to cool or calm down
Anise- meant to set the mood in flavor or aroma
Cumin- Meant to enrich and warm
Jesus pronounced eight woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees. Here is the fifth which is the numerical number of grace. Dissecting these few short words of the Master yields much peaceable fruit, and also yields that he was no mere mortal for His words reach into the deep recesses of existence. The Pharisees were not the most evil men to ever live. Jesus did not spend so much time with them by reason that they were evil, but there are at least two good reasons He may have done so.
The first reason is the fact that they held such a high position, in such a nation as Israel, the greatest nation of the ancient world. Jesus told the people the Pharisees held Moses seat (Matthew 23:2,3) and their words should be esteemed in spite of their hypocrisy. To whom much is given much is required. This is the principle that by reason of hypocrisy only belongs to other parties but never to the subject. It reaches every avenue. If you hold a position that enables you to criticize those that hold an office, then you have just placed yourself on level playing field with that position and to whom much is given much is required. When Jesus deals with the Pharisees that is because they are typical of self-righteousness and self-independence. At one time or another every person has warmed themselves at that fire. How much we would like to analyze the pharisaical methods and compare them to our own, but the matter is much deeper. Self righteousness likes to take road trips to Starbucks and bring back everyone decaf. It takes everyone out to the steakhouse and orders everyone a salad. It doesn't cash in and it is not unique to traditionalism but its greatest brood in our day is found in modernism, ecclesiastically(church) and secularly(public arena).
The second reason Jesus dealt with the Pharisees was a matter of grace. He was a regular guest at the home of certain Pharisees. At the same time some Pharisees stalked him and sought to kill Him, other Pharisees warned Him of danger. The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee (Luke 13:31). The most famous single verse in all of scripture was given to a Pharisee, Nicodemus (John 3:16). Nicodemus being taught in the Word said something very interesting. He said "We know that thou art a teacher come from God:"(John 3:2). "We" was obviously speaking of other Pharisees who shared the same sentiment that Nicodemus did. They were likely the minority, but we cannot trust numbers from mankind, for an evil minority can master deceptive measures. Numbers are numbers, but Judas who held the bag knew how to manipulate those numbers so John the Revelator calls him a thief (John 12:6). Jesus' operation amidst the network of Pharisees is atypical of everything we know about mankind. He did not use and abuse the Pharisees, then pronounce these woes upon them. He did not use them for a catalyst to further His cause. He went into the stronghold of Satan, and took out all that belonged to Him. He led out as many as would follow Him from authority of Mosaic Law.
Pharisaism makes a full circle into the modernism of our day. Don't lose this thought. Jesus will explain it to you plainly in our text These ye aught to have done. Jesus Himself is giving us a commentary on our own day in which we live in. We take the mint, anise, and cumin and understand them for what the are. In those days the nostalgia of the Jewish rituals and the aromatic spices, herbs, being charcoaled over the flames of the altars thrilled the Jewish pilgrim. Your pilgrimage to Jerusalem from far or from the near countryside hits your senses and tells you when you smell these aromas when you are even miles from the city, that this is the holiest place on all the earth. Josephus records the travelers numbering in the millions. This is the city of God, the city of our Great King. The mint, anise, and cumin represented this. These flavors and scents were unmistakably Jewish and and unmistakably Messianic. The city is prepared for the entrance of the Messiah whenever He should come. The sensual here is not sinful per say for that is not the message. The sinful practice was that the most important matters had been neglected and even abandoned. That is what modernism has done.
The absence of the teachings that Jesus considered to be of grave importance is being neglected in our day. It is evident. The truth offends and is unimportant. Our world is completely incapable of Law, judgment, mercy, and faith. The Christian church is the only source by God that the world has to anything that resembles justice and equality. Current so called civil rights movements are proof positive. Without the doctrines of law we cannot understand our need for mercy, faith, and grace. Without judgment we do not have the ability to choose whether we live or die. At this very moment we are in more danger of a nuclear fallout then we ever had been before. Judgment is the ability to choose between right and wrong. The only interpretation is that we apply this to judgment in every sense. You may judge but you may have judged wrong. We must learn of the judgment of God that was placed upon the Son of God, as substitute for all who would receive this sacrificial Lamb of God.
The offering and sacrifice of God was Jesus Christ. He did not offer another as substitute, but the divine only begotten Son, who was the express image of God Himself stood in our place. We who have submitted to the Spirit's enlightening have tasted such flavor, and inhaled such an aroma of a One such as Jesus we shall never thirst or hunger again. Our eyes behold the beauty of creation, and our windows to the soul know that these are mere expressions of Jesus' artistry. Our soul knoweth right well (Psalm 139:14). Modern expression is our visit to the slums for we are now the rich man clad with the highest sense of taste. The appeal of music and style sways His disciples none for Satan was made with such talents originally by a great Artisan. We are lectured by modern perfumers that our senses are not refined enough to indulge in their creations, but after having been in His presence they are dung to our senses and we have only pity for them. Our elevated status has not caused us to be cruel and out of touch but we have adopted the diffusers of love and compassion which our Lord possessed.
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Ephesians 5:2
This precious gift to all of mankind is of such spiritual aromatic pleasure that it's scent will last for all of eternity and we are yet to have inhaled its sweet smelling savor to its full. Jesus told Saul, a Pharisee, on the road to Damascus it is hard to kick against the pricks. In what way might Jesus have done this to Paul? Something was tugging on Paul all the while he was at war against the Church. Now Jesus identifies it as Himself. Paul was Jewish from head to toe. He loved his country and its spiritual role in the ancient world. Paul had identified their status as God's nation and he was absolutely correct. Even after being converted to Christianity he never forgot his nation, in Romans chapter 3, 9-11 he gives testimony that he had not moved on from loving Israel, and that neither had God. As Paul persecuted the Church putting every Christian he could detain he became more and more familiar with this Jewish Rabbi named Jesus. The more familiar he became the more he realized every single physical object and smell at the Second Temple were in the likeness to the Nazarene. Every doctrine he learned at the feet of Gamaliel held perfect application. Jesus was the perfect fulfillment of all the law and the prophets. He is that to us. He is everything that we desire or need. He satisfies every longing as nothing else can do.
Destruction encompasses our nation as never before, yet we are no wiser for it. I would dare say we are not preparing for it at all. Our enemies recognize this. We are weak and decadent. Judgment to discern truth and falsehood is not that important. Jesus says it is. The Law is not that important. Jesus says it is. We no doubt do not live under Mosaic Law (Romans 6:14), however when grace guides you it guides you into truth and righteousness. Two words are used interchangeably with the Word of God in Psalm 119. Guess what they are? Law and judgment. "these ye aught to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Jesus does not take away the weightier matters of the truth and holiness. He gives them flavor and to those that worship Him in spirit and truth He makes them sweet.
For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in those who are saved and in those who perish: 2 Corinthians 2:15
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