The Gnat and the Camel

Spring has sprung here in the south. With Spring, comes the March/April rains and of course the bugs. I have not done much research but I’ve heard rumors that hordes of cicadas are coming as well. Right now the newly hatched insects are an annoyance, maybe an inconvenience but some can be a problem, especially the blood sucking types. Regardless of size, we do not want them anywhere near our food or our mouths (The average of humans eating 8 spiders a year in their sleep is a myth by the way).

Jesus spoke about one of the smallest and most annoying of these creatures in Matthew 23:24 “You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” (ESV). It is the size of the gnat that drives the point home when addressing the Pharisees and their neglect of the weightier matters of justice, mercy and faithfulness, illustrated by the camel. Neither sound very appetizing and both present their own problems. In the context, the specifics of tithing are illustrated by the gnat. Those specifics are not unimportant but they cannot overshadow or become obstacles to the proper treatment of other human beings made in the image of God. Jesus saves his harshest criticism for those who have created extra obstacles or hurdles that hinder a relationship with God. When we see these hindrances in that way, it becomes easier to see why Jesus is frustrated. His mission in coming to earth was to remove the stain of sin that hinders us from experiencing God’s full love and purpose for our lives. We like the Pharisees can create extra “stumbling blocks” even with good intentions. 

There are aspects of life that once were snares for me that now seem silly at 43. There are some of those temptations that I feel like I’ll struggle with the rest of my life. Your temptations might be completely different from mine. I might not struggle with mental health in the exact same way that you do. As a follower of Jesus, I cannot allow those differences to devalue your struggle or overvalue mine. We are to help each other overcome, remove or struggle through the obstacles of life. 

Some of the most treacherous mental and/or spiritual paths I’ve climbed or crawled over now seem small because God and his family have seen me through them. That does not negate their treacherousness for those in the midst of the climb, it accentuates our responsibility to be a present help. Occasionally that might require us opening our mouths but most of the time it's as simple as being present and willing to lend a helping hand. When the opportunity to speak arrives may our words be the boost needed to get over the hump rather than an annoying deterrent that might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. 

Travis