Two passages from Scripture can sometimes become a bit of a “bugaboo” for us. One is where Jesus says: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and remember that your brother or sister has something against you… first be reconciled…” (Matthew 5) The other is: “You tithe mint, dill, and cumin… but neglect justice, mercy, and faith.” (Matthew 23) And if we’re honest, both can leave us wondering: Am I doing this incorrectly? Am I not ready to be present with God? Is God waiting for me to get everything sorted out first?
But Jesus is not trying to trap us—He is trying to free us. He is not giving us rules to make us anxious… He is revealing the heart. When He speaks about anger, He is not condemning every feeling. He is warning us about what happens when hurt turns into contempt—when we begin to see another person as less than they are. And when He says, “be reconciled first,” He is not demanding perfection. He is saying: “Don’t cling to division while standing before God.” Gather together honestly and humbly but don’t hold onto what is breaking love.
And when He speaks about “dill and cumin,” He is not dismissing careful practice. He is reminding us that details matter—but not more than Love. We can be very precise in religion and still miss the heart. So, both passages are really saying the same thing: Let your heart be real with God and let your life be shaped by Love Who is a person. God draws us—but He never drags us. He does not force us into holiness. But He does call us, gently and persistently, toward the Life in Christ that is whole.
Questions: Is there someone I am quietly holding at a distance in my heart?
Where might I be focusing on “doing things right… instead of letting God change me?
Short Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, You draw us gently, and You do not force us. Soften our hearts where they have become hardened, and free us from what we are holding onto that keeps us from You. Teach us to come before You honestly, and to live with love toward one another. That our worship may be in Spirit and in Truth, not having to be perfect as in a performance but with us fully present.Amen.
Fr. Ray Dobson
Parish of Holy Trinity, Clearview ©2026