The Risen Teacher

Jesus had been crucified and placed in a tomb. The discovery that He has risen is about to be made; Peter and John have seen that Jesus's body is missing, and Mary is there as well.

(John 20:11-16)

¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

Tears are rolling down her face as she misses Jesus. Not just the living Jesus, but she actually misses the dead Jesus (his body). Looking to the tomb where Jesus' body once was, sadness comes over her as she realizes He is gone. He had been dead for multiple days, but His body is gone and this has Mary sad. So concerned with the dead physical body of Jesus, she almost misses the resurrected living Jesus. Some people are really fascinated with the physical body that Jesus once had on Earth. They want to see the shroud that once covered His face in the tomb because they feel that some physical relic would provide a sort of resolution for the mystery in their heart about where He has been or Who He was. But alas, it is not the imprinted likeness of the face of a dead Jesus that will satisfy your soul. Only the living Jesus can do that. Perhaps if she had fully known the promises of God by His Word and had faith, then she would not be sad here; perhaps. But, Jesus will have mercy on her regardless.

¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. ^13a They asked her,“Woman, why are you crying?”

Why are these angels here? They seem rather curious (1 Peter 1:12). These are angels who did not rebel and are not to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus have difficulty comprehending, even as angels of God. The work of the Gospel to save those who have rebelled against God, seems a mystery to them. Now is their chance, and perhaps they're meeting that desire to look into these things, by checking in on Mary whom is one of these people God has shown such affection for.

^13b“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

Who can take the Lord anywhere He doesn't want to go? Nobody. Herein lies the problem with her grief, and it's for this reason Jesus will probe her (about faith). Look at what she said again. "I don't KNOW where THEY have put him." You should KNOW that THEY cannot have any power that is not given them and Jesus is exactly where He needs to be (John 19:11; Luke 2:49). She is without knowledge or understanding of the location of Jesus. Worse yet, what have those diabolical people done to his body? All of this, encompassed by the misunderstanding that Jesus would not rise from the dead. Has anyone taken Jesus away? If so, what would they have done with the body? Terrible things, and dishonorable things for certain. Bring my Jesus back! If only the Lord had the power to stop bad things from happening, Jesus' body would still be here where it ought to be--dead and lifeless in the darkness of this unmarked grave. Things would be much better, then.

Crazy the things that cause us to worry, isn't it? I'm so thankful that my expectations are not always met by God giving me what I want or think is most reasonable. His plans are so much better! She will soon find out, He has risen!

¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
^15a He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Have you ever felt like Jesus just wasn't around, later to find He was right in front of you the whole time? Perhaps you couldn't see Him through your blubbering. We do often blubber, in many ways--sometimes with tears, sometimes without. We whine, we complain, we rant, and we cry. We might say the angels were just being curious. But we know Jesus knows what Mary seeks and He asks here anyways. Tell me Mary, speak it. Say why it is you cry, and just Who it is you seek. I want to hear you say it. Did you know God wants to talk to you, even though He already knows what's in your heart?

^15bThinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Here she is again, wanting Jesus back in the tomb where He can be safe and sound. At least if He is in one place then we can come back and memorialize Him at our convenience, have a firm hold on where He is at all of the time. Then we can grieve over the life He once lived and remember Him for Who He once was. If His dead and lifeless corpse isn't where I expect it to be, how then will I ever have rest in my soul? He could be anywhere! He is risen, Mary, mobile and agile; standing before you right now, alive and well! While her mind is on putting Him back into the grave, Jesus' mind is on taking her out of it; full of life before her.

Not to be critical of Mary, she obviously loved Jesus. Fact is, I can see myself in her. She was in a lost state of mind, not knowing the things Jesus said He would do (namely, rise again) and without hope. She is thinking that God would let the righteous be forsaken (Psalm 37:25) with no way of redeeming an otherwise bleak situation. Been there. If He is your Lord, do you not believe He has a plan? Hey you, He never intended to remain in the grave, and the things that worry you are much smaller matters than what He can handle. That sin that once plagued your soul? He made the way straight, and put you from them as far as the east is from the west. What has been done for you on the cross is much weightier, and much more freeing.  He has taken care of your greatest need.  He has risen!

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means“Teacher”).

Have you ever heard Him call your name? When you were first saved, or any one of many times after? It's a great blessing for a believer that we get to hear Jesus call our name. And, we wake up! I'm thankful that He knows my name, and even if I am looking for Jesus in all the wrong places; in the most seemingly logical of places, albeit incorrect ones, He knows how to bring me back to focus. I'm thankful that when I am lost and blubbering because of matters I am misunderstanding, and not seeing clearly through my tears, He calls my name.

What is our response when Jesus calls?  I suggest this is what separates the sheep from the goats. Do you respond? Have you ever responded? Do you call Him, Teacher? The single Teacher above all teachers to give guidance to your heart, mind, body, and soul? Not just Mr. Nice Savior Guy... but Teacher? Has He taught you things, personally? Do you know Him as the lover of your soul? Does Jesus know your name, and do you hear Him when you're in a bleak situation? Do you hear Jesus calling? He wants to show you what's really going on, and that He has a greater plan than the thoughts running through your mind right now that have you down.

Is it faint? Is He blurry? That's enough. Call Him teacher, and He will teach you everything you need to know.

Idol on the shelf.

The Elf on the shelf

Because what we really need this season, or any season, is more lies and teaching by dumb idols that don't speak. Because the truth, reality, and nature of God in this world--revealed by His Word and Spirit--just isn't enough and needs a little sprucing up around the holidays to make things fun. When the Word of God isn't speaking to you loudly or clearly enough to bring your heart gladness, just create things that do. Surely the truth in their guidance and consistency of their watching eyes will subdue sinful hearts and bring joy to an otherwise boring and empty place or season.

¹⁸ “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.

¹⁹ Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.”

²⁰ The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.

(Habakkuk 2:18-20)

Why do any of us (Christians) think we need to make up and adopt mystical lies to bring a smile to our face? There is One who watches, rules, reigns, and makes sure good gifts are given--HE IS GOD!  Let the smile these silly things bring be replaced with frowning, the joy they bring replaced with sadness, and their laughter replaced with weeping.  God really does speak, does watch, and does give perfectly good gifts.  He speaks infinitely better things than the empty, vain, deaf, and dumb guidance of any Idol on the shelf could every provide.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
(Psalm 91:14-16)

Do you want your children to have TRUE joy--YEAR ROUND? Teach them and others the TRUTH; show them what a JOY it is to DELIGHT IN IT! DELIGHT IN HIM! Lord, fill us with Your joy! God may we cast down all lies and false idols that we can so easily adopt when lead astray. May Your Words of life cause us to live for YOU!

Christians, brothers and sisters, children of the MOST HIGH!  We must acknowledge these silly and vain things for what they are.  They are idols we are assigning thought and personality to, which do not have thought or personality.  It's an idol in every sense of the word--literally, truly.  If you have an elf on the shelf, and it so happens to be sitting on the mantel above a fireplace, then it would be fitting that you send it to its rightful place. Please strike a match, light a fire, and send the elf about 3 feet below. You can do it now, or the Lord can do it later. If you don't have a fireplace, this is just one suggested method of destroying it. The garbage will suffice.

For the sake of Him Who has called us apart in this world and awakened us by His Spirit; Who teaches us truth and Who has spoken--be done with the teaching of lies, and chasing after things we know are not true and cannot bring life.  See this, and things alike, for what it is.  These lifeless things are lifeless, and add NOTHING to our growth.  We think they bring joy, but secretly they bring destruction.  Search your heart, and see why the teaching that an inanimate object would speak, think, and have any intelligible actions at all would bring us delight.  If we are this removed from reality in ascribing the supernatural to that which is not supernatural (a silly elf we lie about), it is truly a testament to where we are with God, who really is supernatural.  Do we even know the difference?  God gives abundant life, truly speaks the truth, and watches at all times to truly build up those Who seek Him. He loves you so much, He just can't keep His eyes off of you!

 

 

A much greater truth... a sweeter promise.  The eyes of GOD are watching!  He really lives, and He REALLY loves you!

²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

(Luke 2:27-35)

Happy Halloween?

Should we celebrate Halloween? I am not going to say all of us absolutely shouldn't, but I hope to give some good reasons for why we shouldn't, depending on the context of your celebration. The overarching question I would seek to ask in our celebration could be, "Am I loving death, or am I loving Christ"? Well, that seems like a strange question, but it's a question we should examine with.  We want to love God at all times... of course.  However, there are many things around this national holiday particular that honor death; whether light heartedly or very prominently, I think it begs our sincere attention, and correction if we walk after them.  Then, considering that walk, how we can walk in wisdom.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

 

As we walk into this holiday season (not this holiday only), let's ask ourselves: Why do we do what we do? Why do we celebrate any holiday at all? It should not be just because our neighbor does it, and the calendar says so. We should give thought to our actions. We were purchased with a great price, and we believe a Gospel that makes us very different than those who do not.  Before we give celebration and attention to a tradition, we should consider its worth; especially tradition we know has no claim of origin in God's Word. We should walk as wise, considering our steps in these days that are evil, and know what the will of God is.

Colossians 4:5-6
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

All Christians should agree that basing our behaviors and celebrations based on cultural inheritance is foolish, yet many of us do it anyways. We inherited many of the things we celebrate in our culture from long long ago, and the fact our neighbor does it seems to be strong persuasion. And, we can often fall prey to the false mindset that says, "How else will I be a witness unless I do what they do?" When, in fact, it is our coming away from deadly practices that ought to confuse the world by our seperated behavior (1 Peter 4:3-4).

For the purpose of this post, I am not going to go into the history of Halloween.  I know some people that adamently cast off Halloween look to the history of it as the reason.  However, I don't know that we need to go there to make a case one way or the other.  I don't think the history of then is important as the reality of now, as far as what we are doing today and with what intent.  Nobody has to know the history of Halloween in order to celebrate it, and most don't.  Rather than basing our celebration of a holiday on history, base it on your actions and your heart right now.  If it's wicked and/or contrary to God, then get rid of it.  Simply, "Is it honoring to the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE that God gives?"  If we search the history of Halloween we will no doubt find various things about pagan roots. Even so, let's set it asside and go only on this alone:  To know Jesus Christ and Him cruicified.  Is our walk honoring to Him?--walking carefully regarding this life, as we ought to be doing.

Proverbs 8:32-36
³² “Now then, my children, listen to me;
blessed are those who keep my ways.
³³ Listen to my instruction and be wise;
do not disregard it.
³⁴ Blessed are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
³⁵ For those who find me find life
and receive favor from the Lord.

... Who is this, "wisdom"?

¹² “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
¹³ To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech -Proverbs 8:12-13

Notice how fearing God and hating evil go hand-in-hand.  Are you enouraging other people to fear something else, this holiday season?  Something other than God?  Something more spooky, mysterious, and more sinister, perhaps?  Is that what we plan to do this holiday season?  Will we hate evil, or love it, and take joy in it?  We know that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 1:7), and of course it is ultimately God who is the maker of all things wise, can give wisdom, and from Whom gives us perfect wisdom from above (James 1:15; James 3:17). We can safely say that God, being the beginning of wisdom, giving perfect wisdom, and being the Maker of all things including wisdom, is speaking to us here.

Proverbs 8 goes on to say this, as it ends in verse 36:

But those who fail to find me harm themselves;
all who hate me love death.”

Why this Proverb? Well, like many proverbs its addressing wisdom, and we need wisdom from God to understand how we should walk. It also addresses some matters of fear (whom or what) and death.  It seems to be fitting with the common practices on Halloween.  By His Holy Spirit, and through His Word, He will reveal to us right paths. We are told we should seek it, and we can know it. We can in fact know what the will of God is, and we can do what pleases Him. Also, though, this Proverb has an interesting text that says "All who hate ME (Wisdom, and God Himself who gives it to those who seek), LOVE DEATH."

We know that death is the result of SIN.  Do we give death glory, or God glory?

Death and sin are connected, throughout the Bible.  Jesus died, but we do not love that death accept that we know it actually gives LIFE. If Jesus died, and never rose again, we too would indeed be lovers of death. We love the murder of a just man, who went to the grave into the mystery of death and the afterlife unknown. However, that is not what we celebrate, because it didn't end there. What we celebrate is LIFE that is eternal!

So, should we or should we not celebrate Halloween?  There are many choices on how we celebrate, aren't there?  I would say much of that depends on if the things we choose to do this holiday, displays a love for death.  As we look around on Halloween, we see things that are designed to glorify and honor death.  These things take multiple forms, but mostly take death light heartedly, or give in a place or honor.  We should not be promoting any mystery surrounding death, and certainly not giving honor to death, but we should be promoting the truth revealed in God's Word.  Next to cute lady bug, pumpkin, and a fireman suit, I see a witch, a devil, and a ghost.  Not all things done around this holiday are all the same.  So, what are you doing?

We should all fulfill Eph 5:15-17, as we walk carefully this holiday and every day, knowing that the days are evil; seek to do good in them, knowing what the will of God is. Then, honestly answer that question for yourself. Don't just throw down a nice little sticky window design of a ghost, a witch, or a brain eating zombie, and say... oh look how festive and "cute" that is. Is that what you believe honors God--being stuck in this life or the afterlife, dead but not alive, somewhere in limbo, confused about life and death, seeking to bring death or a similar state to others? Is your freedom to take light-heartedly demonic witchcraft (a very real thing) the reason for why Christ died?  Do we even believe in ghosts, as are represented in society? Do you think ghosts are cute? Is that what the Spirit of God says?  Are these things "cute" to us, and if so... then in the spirit of Eph 5:15-17... consider why, and if they actually should be.

Walk carefully—consider your steps that you take--as wise, not as fools.  Then, do what the Spirit of God, and His Word, says is good and honoring to the LIFE that only HE gives.

What's In a Name?

Our daughter Hannah was born last Sunday morning, on Father's Day.  A big factor in choosing that name, is what it means.  Hannah, means "grace".  We did not know what would come, Lord willing, whether it would be a boy or a girl.  Isaiah would have been the name if the child was a boy (meaning God is Salvation), and Hannah the name if a girl (grace).  A similar theme, I think.

Grace!  That's definitely what the labor experience with Hannah was, and has been.  After the experience with Micah (83 hours of labor, with marginal sleep), the perfect word for this labor is "grace".  Micah means "Who is like the Lord," and there were definitely times where we were ready to give up, and had to have the faith to rely on WHO the Lord is, despite our pains, throughout that time.

Hannah, though, came with grace.  She came with everything we wanted, so far as we can tell.  She came from beginning of contractions to delivery, in about 5.5 hours, at home, and with no complications.  Not only that, but when Shanda gave birth (whenever that would have been), I had plans with work to have the following week off.  What a beautiful week to have off work it has been!  It's the nicest it's been all year--sunny and warm.  It's allowing me to get some things done around the house and help Shanda get adjusted in the best way possible.  I'm going to go outside and work on the trailer here in a little bit.  And not to be forgotten, the night Shanda went into labor was a night Micah just happened to be spending the night at grandma and grandpa's, so we knew he was being taken care of while we prepared to deliver a baby.  GRACE!

Furthermore, it is our prayer that Micah would in some special way cause others to say, "Who is like the Lord!?", and Hannah would cause others to glorify Him for His grace.  And, I believe God has plans to fulfill that.  We're excited to see just how He will.

Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise...

Amos 3:3-6

³ “Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed to meet?
⁴ Does a lion roar in the forest,
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from his den,
if he has taken nothing?
⁵ Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth,
when there is no trap for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
when it has taken nothing?
⁶ Is a trumpet blown in a city,
and the people are not afraid?
Does disaster come to a city,
unless the Lord has done it?

------------------

Verses 3-6 are rhetorical questions asked by God, all having the same answer (No), of things that go hand-in-hand.  Yet, I think that when we come to verse 6, it will give many of us pause.

"Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?"
("No")

"Does a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?"
("No")

"Does a young lion cry out from his den, if he has taken nothing?"
(No)

"Does a bird fall in a snare on the earth, when there is no trap for it?"
("No")

"Does a snare spring up from the ground, when it has taken nothing?"
("No")

"Is a trumpet blown in a city and the people are not afraid?"
("No")

"Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?"
("N.... well... wait a sec.)

God doesn't cause all disasters, does He?  Let me review these questions and their answers again.  I need to reread verses three through six.  Verse 3, answer is "No".  Verse 4 (two questions), answer is "No" and "No".  Verse 5 (two questions), answer is "No" and "No".  Verse 6 (two questions), answer is "No", and the answer is... must be No.

Consider the worst disaster that has ever happened to a city.  We have the tornados in OK, recently, or hurrican Sandy.  There is a long endless list of disasters we could list, on and on.

The title of this post is, "Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise."  Have you ever said it?  If not, perhaps you have heard it, or at least you can understand what is meant by it.  Or, what *should* be meant by it.  This post is BIGGER than a saying, so stay with me.  Do we understand disaster, when it strikes?  Do we rightly understand what is happening, when it comes upon us or if we hear of it coming upon others?  Many catchy things people say are not actually based in any truth at all, while others can just be misunderstood.  I believe this is the latter.  The question of the day is not about this saying, but about what are you saying when the creek does or does not rise?  Did the creek act on its own sovereign will, or was it resonding to the sovereign will of God?  There is a right answer.

For me, I believe I have (wrongly) made the "Lord willing", and "the creek don't rise" as two separate forces working independently of one another.  That would be, incorrect.  The "and" in that sentance, should not mean "this other thing working by its own will", but instead it should mean "according to the will of God".  Now it is not the saying that is wrong, in this case.  I think it is our understanding that can be wrong, as mine has been at times regarding it, and things of its nature (no pun intended, really).

In effort to keep this post short, which could be very long, I will just say this.  God causes disaster.  That is something we have to really come to grips with.  As I read through Amos, I see God telling them over and over that He is causing disaster here, and not there... there... and not here.  All the while, He is seeking repentance, purification, and righteousness. 

Whenever you see a disaster of any kind nearby or far away... it is supposed to cause YOU, and ME, (not just them) to repent.  The creek, and "nature", do not have minds of their own.  A better way of saying this more directly, with less chance of misunderstanding would be, "The Lord willing, the creek will rise or it will not."

James 4:13-17

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Luke 13:1-5

¹ There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Raising Children

Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
    but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

---------

There are many times in my job where I have been called upon to train a new employee--not to discipline, but to train.  It's a specific task, separate from discipline.  The majority of any discipline that this trainee receives, will actually be at the hand of someone else after I have trained him or her.  Suffice it to say, there is a difference between training and discipline.  As parents, however, we have been called to be both trainer, and disciplinarian of our children.  Though I am a young parent, and by no means an "expert", I think all of us parents should consider.  Here are my considerations, and may God help us in doing it.

At a young age, the only thing that children can understand, is discipline.  For a time, when they are very little, discipline is all we have to rely on.  Certain actions invoke negative reactions.  As they come into understanding, however, we should seek to avoid the pitfall of thinking that in administering discipline, we are actually training them.  That is certainly not the case.  When I train someone, I show them how they ought to work or behave.  I don't just tell them to have at it, and discipline them when they are wrong.  How infuriating it can be, when we are disciplined for doing something wrong, which we have never been properly trained to do in the first place!  I believe this is a method of "discipline" many of us can fall into, if we are not careful.  And, I believe that would be provoking our children to wrath (Eph 6:4)--something we seek to avoid doing.

Training takes a lot of work, and so does diligence in disciplining.  It's by God's merciful design that children grow up so slowly (compared to the animal kingdom).  If I am going to train a child, I am going to have to kill hypocrisy in me wherever it is found.  In the little time that I have been a father, I am seeing just how much training I give Micah while I am unaware.  Better to be aware of that training that I give him!  Whenever you are in the site of your children, you are training.

Don't train without discipline and don't discipline without training.  Let's also not be fooled into thinking that they are the same thing, or that either can be done properly apart from one another.  All parents should consider the words of 1 John 3:18, before we ever discipline.  May it cause us to ask ourselves first, "have I given proper training"?

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

The Tithe: Jesus Approved

Matthew 23:23-24

 

²³ “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. ²⁴ You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

----

Notice what Jesus says here. He tells these Pharisees that "these", that is, "justice and mercy and faithfulness", should have been done. He calls them "weightier matters" of the law. Jesus gives further command regarding the tithe in saying they should not be "neglecting the others." Or, as the KJV states it, "without leaving the other undone". That is to say, they should be doing all these things, including the tithe. I don't necessarily think He is saying those things are more important, but perhaps weightier in that they are more difficult to accept and do. They are indeed weighty for those who are going to do such things in circumstances that especially require them. It's easy for me to cut 10% off the top, but it's much harder to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly (faith) with my God, when push comes to shove. Either way, they are grouped together by Jesus as all things that should to be done

Do you approve of justice, mercy, and faith?

If we are going to say, "The tithe is just OT stuff, it doesn't apply", then we can also say that justice, mercy, and faithfulness are also to be tossed. Now, I'm certainly not suggesting that we do that of course. Jesus approves and commands the tithe ought to be done. I believe God's Word tells us that all should be done. So, we see that the Pharisees were not making the mistake of tithing, but of neglecting other "weightier" matters. They did well to tithe, but they were straining a gnat to swallow a camel.

What's this straining a gnat to swallow a camel thing about?

Jesus is painting a picture of their hypocrisy. See Leviticus 11:2-4, 41; Leviticus 11:32-35. According to the Levitical law, both camels and insects were unclean. So, what would they do? They would place something over their earthen vessel, such as a cup or bowl, so that nothing unclean would enter and die, thereby needing to destroy it (Lev 11:33). So, they were making sure no tiny gnats fell dead into their cups whilst they were unaware, then sitting down to a big camel-steak dinner. Both unclean, and against Levitical law.

Here they were doing the same thing, but regarding things that Jesus says all ought to be done: justice, mercy, faith, and the tithe.

The tithe is not often addressed in the NT, but when it is... it is not cast off.

In the New Testament It is not frowned upon, spoken against, or mocked. The only time it is spoken of by Jesus, it is confirmed as a good thing, right along with justice, mercy, and faith. How then can we say that the tithe is not for today? There is something unique about the tithe. It is commanded, it pleases God, and He blesses us for doing it.
 

When you consider all the things the Jews would have been impressing upon the early Christians, along with various laws lingering over regarding sacrifices and circumcision--is it not surprising that the tithe is never brought up with a counter argument? Is it no surprise that it is not mentioned with chagrin because of those who would have still been teaching others to do so? The converted Jews certainly would have been tithing (which is a very specific thing), but never is it suggested that the tithe ought not to be done. 2 Cor 9:7, for example, only encourages us to give cheerfully. And, we should do so! This "giving" is better compared to the offering spoken of in Malachi, and not the tithe. Offerings and tithes are not the same thing. The offering was (is) anything above and beyond the tithe. Even so, we should certainly tithe cheerfully as well! I am blessing God in obedience, and He blesses me more than I put out. It's a win-win.

What if we don't tithe? Will we be sinning?

To that I ask this: What if we are not just, merciful, and faithful, will we be sinning? If we say justice, mercy, and faithfulness are good things we should hold onto, then I certainly suggest that these weightier matters ought to be done without leaving the other (tithes) undone.  We know in part, and we see in part... but as God reveals, we should obey. The tithe is one of those things, I certainly believe. It is a truth God revealed to me in His Word, and has confirmed in my heart in doing so. God... help me not to neglect the weighted matters. If He has revealed His Word to us in the tithe, then yes; I believe we will be robbing God, which is sin. Robbing is not my word, but God's Word. Furthermore, we will also be missing out on the blessing that comes specifically in response to God's challenge to us in tithing (back in Malachi).

So in conclusion...

· The tithe predates the law; but not just that it predates the law, it was given to Mechizedek who is of the same priesthood as Jesus (king of peace, king of righteousness).

· The tithe comes with a unique blessing, in response to a unique challenge/command found nowhere else in Scripture--"test me in this", God says.

· The tithe is spoken of with approval by Jesus. These you ought to have done, and not left the other undone.

We must all decide for ourselves. I highly recommend the win-win that God promises in His challenge and command to tithe. But, remember now--don't neglect the weightier matters of the law.