In an extreme case of legalism - I was once asked (along with many others) to sign a contract with one of these ‘churches’, which included a guarantee to give them ten percent of my income.  What an absolute disgrace!  This is why we now see ‘churches’ that only the wealthy attend.   The pastor responsible for this ‘contract’ was in the habit of preaching ‘the tithe’ often - he actually shouted it at people.

I went to speak with him about the subject, but he remained completely unmoved.  During our meeting he quoted this passage to reinforce his position; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill and cumin, but you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practised the latter without neglecting the former.  You blind guides, you strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”  (Matt.23:23,24)   Once again, the Lord Jesus makes it clear that “tithing” was part of old covenant law.  He says, “You give a tenth.... but you have neglected the more important matters of the law”. 

  

It is very sad, that only thing this ‘pastor’ could tell me from the whole of Matthew chapter 23 was, - ‘Jesus said they should have tithed’.   

 

He didn’t notice that his attitude, was exactly the same as the attitude which Jesus had condemned in that very passage of scripture. 

 

 Was the Lord Jesus actually asking us to ‘tithe’ in this passage?  No!

 

To put it into context, we should read the whole chapter.  We must realise, that at the time this happened (before the crucifixion), the people of Israel were still under old covenant law.  

At the beginning of chapter 23, the Lord Jesus is teaching the people -  “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must obey them and do everything they tell you.  But do not do what they do, for they do not practise what they preach.  They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.’”  (Matt. 23:1-4)

Jesus told the people they were still obligated to obey the law of God, which came through Moses and was preached by the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.  However, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees themselves, had completely missed the purpose of the law.  So Jesus told the people not to become like them.

Then in vs. 13, the Lord launched a verbal assault on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, which lasts the rest of chapter 23.  He calls them “hypocrites”,  “sons of Hell”, “blind guides”, “fools”, “snakes and vipers”, He says that they are “full of wickedness”.  

 

The Lord was not calling these men to repentance - He was condemning them!  He tells them in v.13, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces.  You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” and again in vs. 33 He says “You snakes, you brood of vipers!  How will you escape being condemned to Hell?”  He is not telling them what they should do from that point on - He is telling them what they “should have” done (past tense).   He said to them, “you should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former”. 

 

The law was coming to an end and the Lord Jesus knew it.  When he told the Pharisees what they should have done (past tense), he was telling them that if they had shown mercy and justice to others, that they themselves would have received mercy.   But, since they had not shown mercy, they would receive no mercy.  So, he simply asked them, “How will you escape being condemned to Hell?”   If we go back to preaching the letter of old covenant law as they did, how will we escape the same judgement?