Luke 11:42-46 NRSVue

42“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. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves on which people unknowingly walk.”

45One of the experts in the law answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things, you insult us, too.” 46And he said, “Woe also to you experts in the law! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a finger to ease them.

Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
God may be the God of small things, but not of the small mind and small heart. Jesus rebukes people who get uptight and upset over the small things of religion or for those who want to be honoured for religious ceremony. The religion God looks for is the faith of the heart, and the love that is born of faith and itself gives birth to deeper faith.