We designed our All-IN Sunday around three central words from Matthew 23:23 – ‘the weightier matters’ of justice, mercy, faithfulness. In a world awash in words, how do we actually sense the ‘weight’ of these specific words? What meaning do they convey to us, in the particularities of our lives and of our life together? Can we ground ourselves in the goodness within these words? Can we ground these words in our practice?

In the passage, Jesus reprimands the Pharisees for spending their time and effort on trivial matters – calculating the proper tithe of dill – while failing to practice these weightier matters. Tithing one’s herbs and spices might have given the leaders the appearance of moral scrupulosity, but such activity was actually low hanging fruit in the school of love – it didn’t demand much or change much.

But showing mercy, living justly, and doing so over and over again, repeatedly over a lifetime? This is weighty work which transforms the giver and the receiver.

I wonder what trivial matters we give our time and energy to in order to feel comfortable, busy, productive, spiritual, or pleasing to others, but that have little long term impact on our lives or the world around us?

I wonder what weighty matters we avoid by busying ourselves with trivial things? I wonder what might grow in us if we ground ourselves back in the good soil of mercy, reconnect with underground networks of justice, and entwine our roots around faithfulness? Tell me, I bet it would be something good.

Blessings,

Anne