Strain at a gnat, swallow a camel?

Matthew 27.6:  "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood."

It hadn't been just four chapters prior in Matthew 23.24 that the Lord had labeled the Pharisees and elders of Israel "...blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel".  You know, the Bible does contain quite a bit of humourous things, including this quote by our Lord.  He accused these Jewish leaders of swallowing camels while gagging on gnats!  In other words, they majored on the minors and minored on the majors!  A perfect example is found in our text verse, Matthew 27.6.  The Jewish leaders had paid Judas Iscariot to the betray the Lord Jesus, an innocent man.  They have sought false witnesses to lie about the Lord Jesus Christ.  They are in the process of having the Son of God crucified to protect their own positions and power.  They put him through a sham of trial and will soon cry for him to be crucified over a known insurrectionist, Barabbas.  And yet in the midst of all this sin, deceit, wickedness and miscarriage of justice - they are worried about putting their blood money in the treasury, for that would not in accordance with "God's law".  What a joke!!! 

I wonder though, how often we as believers "strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel".  With part of our life, we have certain rituals we keep that make us feel better, like we are being "good Christians", but then we live in disobedience in other areas - that in some cases may be far more important?  We do one thing that is good, but then in other areas of our life - we do not give consideration as to what God would want.  As I am sitting here, praying and typing - I could think of many examples which I could type - but instead - I think the Lord would have me to leave this open.  Are there situations like that in our life?  Is the Holy Spirit speaking to you right now - has He brought something to your attention?  I John 1.9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Pastor  Bret M. Pallotta