Gnats and Camels

 Matthew 23:24 "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel."

The Pharisees were so zealous towards the law, they would strain their wine before drinking it so they would not swallow some insect that the law said was "unclean". Jesus said that they would go to such great lengths as that to avoid breaking the law, being careful to avoid small faults, but yet they did not hesitate to commit the greatest sins. They would keep the gnats out and swallow camels whole, thinking nothing of the hypocrisy of their actions

Jesus points out to them that they should not just focus on getting the small things right or the things they like to obey right, but that they should give equal balance to all matters of the law, both the small and the large.
Sometimes it amazes me just how much like the Pharisees we can be in our approach to church and to life as Christians. Some churches have split over matters of no importance like the color of carpet, but do we do the same in our churches and in our lives? Do we spend more of our time and focus on little things and less than we should on more important issues?

When you look at what we are called to do as a people and as the body of Christ we have five purposes:
a. Worship God
b. Evangelize others
c. Disciple people
d. Minister to people in Christ's name
e. Fellowship with one another

Do we spend more time in one of these areas than the others?

Do we spend more time and energy on getting ready for a covered dish dinner than we do on telling people about Christ?
Do we spend more time and energy preparing a children's program at Christmas than we do in helping others mature in their faith?
Do we focus too much internally on ourselves and on the church facilities at the expense of reaching out to others?

I believe the answer is, "Yes". I think we all do this from time to time. I know in my personal devotional life there are times when I get out of balance because I focus too much of my energy into one area of my Christian life while neglecting another.

So the question I ask you today is what have we been neglecting in our churches and in our lives?  What camels have we let slip by us while we've been straining gnats?

Jesus' message to the Pharisees in this passage was to live a balanced life. We are to seek to be holy in all areas of their lives, not just in one small area. We are not just to focus on just one thing, but to be holy and obedient in all areas of our lives.