''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)''
In American Christianity, especially the mainstream denominations, there is a Pharisaic neglect of the weightier matters of Christian doctrine. The pastors have brought about a reduction of the Gospel message to become only "Jesus loves everyone." Therefore, since Jesus loves everyone, no one will be condemned to Hell. No divisions should be allowed to be had in Christianity. Everyone should be able to belong to one Church.
God's love is a very weighty matter, but it has become so watered-down by scholars, teachers and pastors trying to make it the primary thing of the Christian faith. God's love caused Him to create the world for our sake, as the Shepherd of Hermas tells us (Commandment XII 4:2). His love gave us the Torah through Moses. His love sent Jesus into the world to die for us.
And it is this manifestation of His love that is the weightiest matter in the Christian faith. In God's justice, He placed all of your sins upon Jesus as He died on the cross. Jesus suffered Hell's torments that were destined for you because of your sins. In God's mercy, He counted Jesus' suffering as sufficient for the reconciliation of the entire world. Everyone who believes in Jesus' death and resurrection will be saved. In God's faithfulness, He promises to lead and to hear all the faithful as they take up the weightier matters.
Blindly guided by our sinful human emotions, the basis for most of our hurt between denominations, leaves us swallowing the camel while we try to strain out the gnat. Let us come together, as members of "the one holy catholic and apostolic Church," and truly talk about the weightier matters. Not blindly guided by our emotions. Standing upon the just, merciful and faithful Word of God as the basis for our unity in Christ. Amen.
