Luke 11:42 "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds..."

But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42)

Comment:

This passage is part of a longer warning to the Pharisees, the overall theme of which is that they are more concerned with external appearances than with inner spiritual truth and love. Mint and rue are plants of little value. It is easy and painless to tithe them as an offering to the divine, and their pleasant aroma may create the illusion of significance. What God truly asks of us, however, is an inner commitment to the qualities of justice and love. They are less obvious, less showy, less impressive to others. But without justice and love, other tithes are meaningless. And, on the other hand, with a commitment to justice and love, the more obvious, superficial tithes can take on their own proper importance.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed