Jesus’ Thoughts on the Tithe Matthew 23:23

Wouldn’t it be great to have Jesus’ thoughts on the tithe? Thankfully, His thoughts on the tithe can be obtained by analyzing His words about this subject, which are recorded in the Bible.

Matthew 23:23 reads, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” (KJV)

In this passage, Jesus is talking to men that were well off, if not rich. This makes us wonder why Jesus said it was okay for them to tithe spices. Shouldn’t Jesus have told them to tithe cash money from their riches?

Jesus was not confused about what a tithe is, and He clearly identifies the tithe as being edible and not a form of currency. Therefore, Jesus knows that the tithe is edible, even when the person who is tithing is rich. But then why were these rich men tithing spices and herbs?

You could only tithe something that you grew from the Promised Land. The scribes and the Pharisees were not about to give up their prestigious careers and take on farming. To tithe, all they had to do was plant an herb garden and bring 10% of the spices to the Temple.

God established an edible tithe. In the past, there were no refrigerators or cans to preserve foods. Although we have many ways of preserving food in our modern age (which the world would never have dreamed of during the Bible era), many pastors insist on demanding a cash tithe!

Alas, just as the scribes and Pharisees in the time of Jesus, today’s ministers have forgotten the more important things of our faith, which are Honesty in God’s Word, Respect for the sacred things of God, and Love for those whom God has placed in our care.