New Testament · Gospel

Luke 11:42

Teach Us to Pray

Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. Luke 11:42 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Luke 11:42, in plain English

Jesus says: 'Woe to you! You carefully tithe even your kitchen herbs but completely ignore justice and the love of God. You should do both, but you've got your priorities backwards.'

Why it's here

Imagine counting individual mint leaves to tithe accurately while ignoring the poor person at your gate. That's the absurdity Jesus is calling out.

Who's speaking

Jesus pronounces the first of several devastating 'woes' against the Pharisees' misplaced religious priorities.

Where it sits in the story

Jesus starts naming specific problems. They're so careful about the tiny details of religion that they've completely lost sight of what God actually cares about: justice and love.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The first 'woe' (ouai) targets Pharisaic tithing of garden herbs (hēdyosmon, pēganon) -- mint, rue, and every herb -- while neglecting krisin (justice) and agapēn tou theou (love of God). Jesus affirms tithing but insists on prioritizing weightier matters.

Language and setting

Tithing herbs demonstrated extreme scrupulousness about the smallest provisions of the law while ignoring its central demands. Jesus does not abolish tithing but establishes a hierarchy of moral priorities.

Voice

Jesus pronounces the first of several woes against the Pharisees, targeting their misplaced priorities.

Significance

The woes begin. Jesus systematically exposes how the Pharisees got religion exactly backwards: meticulously counting leaves while ignoring justice, mercy, and love.

In context

Luke 11:40–44

40You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?

41But give as alms the things that are within you, and behold, everything will be clean for you.

42Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces.

44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”

Read all of Luke 11 — The disciples ask for a prayer, and Jesus gives them words that have echoed for two thousand years. Then he warns against empty religion.

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