Imagine this: A man gets into a terrible motorcycle accident. His leg is severed, and he’s bleeding heavily. He lies on the ground in urgent need of help. Fortunately, a good Samaritan comes by and wants to assist. But instead of addressing the critical injury, the Samaritan looks closely at the man’s face, notices a small pimple filled with pus on his cheek, and proceeds to pop it.
Then he says, “There you go! I’ve helped you. If you hadn’t found a calm and careful person like me, that pimple might have worsened.” And with that, he walks away saying, “I’ll come back tomorrow to check on your progress.”
Now ask yourself did that man truly help the injured person? Technically, yes, he offered some help. But it was not the help needed at that moment. His help was entirely misplaced. The bleeding man needed life saving aid, not a cosmetic fix.
This scenario mirrors what hypocrisy looks like focusing on minor issues while ignoring what’s truly urgent.
Jesus saw this kind of hypocrisy in the religious leaders of His day. In
Matthew 23:23–24, He said:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”(Matthew 23:23–24, ESV)
These leaders had flipped God’s priorities upside down. They emphasized meticulous tithing even of herbs and spices but neglected the core of God’s law:
Yes, tithing was good they were not wrong to do it. But ignoring the foundational matters of the faith made them blind guides. They strained out tiny gnats (like minor rules) but swallowed entire camels (massive spiritual failings).
The same leaders emphasized giving and temple taxes so much that they turned God’s house into a marketplace (John 2:14–16). As long as people brought money, sacrifices, and tithes, they ignored sins, injustices, and corruption among the people.
If someone didn’t tithe, he would be summoned, rebuked, and accused of “robbing God” (Malachi 3:8). Yet those living in sin were left untouched. The result? A generation religious on the outside but spiritually bankrupt within.
They ignored spiritual ignorance in the congregation. Instead of teaching people about:
No wonder Jesus called them “blind guides”. They had the strangest filter imaginable a strainer that misses camels but catches gnats.
If modern day preaching focuses only on:
…but ignores:
Then we, too, are using that same strange filter.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39, ESV)
If love for God and others is rarely taught, but money and blessings are emphasized year after year, then both preachers and hearers are being spiritually misled.
It’s like this: You’ve gone six days without food starving to death. Then someone gives you a designer suit instead of a meal. It’s a beautiful gift, but completely useless at that moment. You need food, not fashion.
Later, once you’ve eaten and recovered, you can appreciate the suit.
So it is spiritually. If where you are now isn’t feeding your soul if your relationship with God is growing colder you don’t have to stay. Seek a place where you’ll be nourished spiritually. There’s no sin in that. Jesus called you not a denomination.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”(Matthew 6:33, ESV)
Prosperity is not sinful, but it is secondary. The first priority is God’s Kingdom and His righteousness.
These are the last days. Ask yourself:
The Bible warns:
“Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.”(Romans 8:9, ESV)
If you’re far from God today, repent. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
The Holy Spirit will:
Just like a letter with a seal, you’ll be marked as God’s own prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven.
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