Tithing

“What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. [Luke 11.42]

I've seen this before, but never really did it soak in to me that Jesus was in fact pretty clear about tithing. He said it should be done.

Here is where it serves us well to at least consider Bible translations that speak in more recognizable terms. I looked at this same verse in the King James Version and it says the same thing, but the wording is inverted and takes some time to sort out:

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. [Luke 11.42 KJV]

In the New Living Translation that I quoted here originally, it clearly showed Jesus to say, "You should tithe, yes..." and that is what the KJV is saying when it says, "...and not leave the other undone."

So, if we think the New Testament, and particularly Jesus, never mentioned tithing as a necessary practice, Luke 11.42 educates us differently!

However, in the context of this passage, we must understand that Jesus indeed embraced tithing, but, also made it clear that tithing is just the start! He said justice and the love of God are even more important!

So, my question is this: How can we be responsible stewards of the more important things (justice and love) if we are unfaithful in the less important things (tithing)?

Tithing is scriptural and Jesus taught it.

Father, thank You for clearing this up for me today.