Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.
“Woe” is a grief-filled warning, not a curse (v. 23). Jesus’ sorrow is real because people are being misled by hypocrites—leaders who are outwardly religious, but whose hearts have not turned to God and whose lives do not show justice, mercy, or faithfulness.
“You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin” refers to giving a tenth, even of garden herbs, as an act of devotion (v. 23). Jesus affirms obedience—“these you should have done.” But the center was lost. The “weightier things” are justice (right judgment and fairness toward others), mercy (compassion lived in action), and fidelity (faithfulness to God in daily choices). The prophets taught this long before: “do justice… love mercy… walk humbly with your God” (Mic. 6:8; cf. Hos. 6:6; Mt. 9:13; 12:7). God never accepts trade-offs: precise religious acts that outwardly fulfill the prescriptions of the Law cannot replace a changed heart.
“Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!” uses a vivid proverb (v. 24). In that time, people strained drinks to avoid a tiny unclean insect. A camel was the largest unclean animal in the region. The point is simple: major and minor have been reversed. Small details are guarded. Justice and mercy are ignored. The warning still fits us. We can focus on small religious tasks and overlook the person in need right beside us (cf. Lk. 10:29-37).
“You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence” (v. 25). “Plunder” means goods gained by greed or injustice. “Self-indulgence” means giving in to desires without restraint. The image is a polished cup with a soiled interior. God looks first at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). “Cleanse first the inside” (our motives, loves, and choices), “so that the outside also may be clean” (v. 26). Luke adds a practical path: “give alms” and the inside becomes clean (Lk. 11:39-41). Generous love loosens the grip of greed.
Ancient terms here are straightforward. A “tithe” is a tenth offered to God. “Clean/unclean” first referred to ritual purity; Jesus carries the idea into the moral life: purity of heart matters most. The images expose a common danger in every culture: religion can become performance if love is missing.
For us, Jesus sets the order. Start with the “weightier things.” Practice justice: be fair, keep promises, refuse dishonest gain. Show mercy: forgive, help the weak, be patient with the one who fails. Live fidelity: pray, obey God when no one sees, keep faith in hidden places. Do not despise small devotions; do them with a true heart. Pray first, then do what is in your power: share money, food, time, counsel. Otherwise, we “strain a gnat and swallow a camel” (v. 24). Never let prayers, tithes, fasting, or any outward practice replace love. If a neighbor is hungry, if a coworker is wronged, if a family member needs patience, love comes first (Mt. 5:23-24; Jas. 1:27).
Jesus, cleanse my heart first. Teach me justice in my decisions, mercy toward every person, and faithfulness to You in secret. Make my worship true and my giving generous. Let the inside be made clean, so that my words and works show Your love. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407), Homilies on Matthew 72.
- Bernard Orchard et al., eds., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Matthew (2008).
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
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