Jesus spends a lot of time arguing against the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a group of folks within Judaism who felt that the laws of Moses were not being emphasized or upheld. They were zealous in their attempts to identify every single law and see to it that they (and their neighbors) lived according to these laws.
Jesus tells them that they are placing the emphasis in the wrong place.
They had developed some rather strange teachings. In Matthew 23:13-26 Jesus speaks of some of these. He says, "'Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath." You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold of the temple that has made the gold sacred?'"
Or course, it is easy to see the errors of others - what is more difficult is seeing the mislaid intentions in our own practices, or beliefs.
Later in this same section, Jesus makes a comment which perhaps can guide us. He says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for your tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy and faith; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others."
Following Jesus means continually looking at my footprints and repeatedly asking whether I am where I ought to be. It means being open to hearing that I have strayed and it means accepting correction when it is offered. Following Jesus involves continual motion, moving toward the kingdom and moving in response to those whom Jesus came to set free.
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