Jesus Christ, in His fierce rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees, exposes their failure to uphold the weightier matters of the law. Though they meticulously observed every minor detail, even adding their own precise rules to ensure compliance, they lost sight of the law's fundamental purpose. Their obsession with endless, mindless details hindered their ability to weigh what was most important, focusing instead on appearances, such as publicly counting mint, cumin, and anise. Christ acknowledges that tithing should be done, but He emphasizes far greater priorities—judgment, mercy, and faith—as the essential issues of the law. He laments that they burdened others with strict demands while neglecting these vital principles, using the law to exploit the vulnerable, even devouring widows' houses. Christ's anger burns against their perversion of the law, which was meant to be a law of liberty, bringing joy and liberation from guilt and shame when kept with the right spirit and attitude. Instead, they turned this blessing into a curse, wielding it as a club for selfish gain. Though He does not elaborate to them on the relationship of judgment, mercy, and faith to the law, Christ offers a clue to redirect their thinking, urging a return to the law's true purpose and meaning for the good of mankind.

Our Savior admonished the Scribes and Pharisees to continue keeping the lesser aspects of the law, but to emphasize the weightier matters, the first of which is judgment. As a weighty matter in Matthew 23:23, judgment is from the Greek word krisis, meaning decision for or against, suggesting a tribunal or formal judgment, and implying justice. Justice involves the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of deserved punishment or reward, administering what is just, factual, reasonable, faithful, morally upright, good, fair, righteous, impartial, and legally correct. The Pharisees focused solely on the legally correct aspect, neglecting fairness and impartiality, while Christ urged them to include all elements of justice in proper decision-making. Christ's teachings show that we are to judge, evaluating the deeds of others with care, considering our own weaknesses and sins first to avoid hypocrisy. He instructs us to judge with righteous judgment, not according to appearance, analyzing what is right or wrong based on the mind of God as expressed in His Word. The attitude we take in judging others will be the same attitude Christ takes with us. Life forces us to make judgments about people every day, whether in mundane matters or significant decisions like friendships and marriages, requiring thorough research and contemplation to avoid grief from snap or selfish judgments. Making proper judgments and ensuring justice is a constant daily challenge in all relationships and decisions. Our purpose in this life is to learn to render proper judgments of right and wrong and to exercise wisdom, as God trains us to be leaders and teachers. While God ultimately makes final judgments on all men, ensuring justice is done, He watches us over time in various circumstances. He ponders our hearts and renders to each according to their deeds, emphasizing the importance of judging righteous judgment by looking at the fruits of others. The Pharisees made a grave error in judgment by abandoning God's instructions and leaning on carnal reasoning, developing traditions that transgressed His law. Their additions to the law became partial to themselves, destroying godly standards and allowing wickedness to reign. Christ excoriated them for perverting justice through hypocrisy and partiality. Judgment is a weightier matter of the law because it is the aim and purpose of the law, ensuring justice is done. Since we do not yet have the mind of God, He gave us the Bible as a guide to strive toward perfection, helping us learn to judge righteous judgment in every situation.

Christ castigated the Pharisees for abandoning the weightier matters of the law, including mercy, which they perverted by focusing on self-interest rather than the needs of others. They substituted their own desires—my money, my house, my reputation—for God's priorities, showing no mercy even to themselves, as they believed they needed none. Mercy is a weighty matter because it is inseparable from law and grace; it is not automatic but requires a heart aligned with God's will. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, needing unmerited pardon, which He extends when we repent, though He may chasten us to ensure true repentance. The Pharisees stood in the Temple proclaiming their righteousness while demeaning others, lacking mercy in their judgment. In contrast, the publican humbly sought God's mercy, recognizing his sinfulness. Modern behavior often mirrors the Pharisees, as we lift ourselves above others by criticizing their faults or tarnishing their reputations, showing a merciless attitude that can spiritually harm our brethren. God indicts such lack of mercy, warning of severe consequences for the church if truth and mercy are absent. God leans toward mercy, repeating that He desires mercy over sacrifice and declaring that the merciful shall obtain mercy. He requires us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him, emphasizing mercy as an absolute necessity. Christ instructs us to show mercy by addressing sins privately and forgiving infinitely, even up to 490 times a day, mirroring God's enduring mercy. If we are merciless, we can expect like treatment from our heavenly Father, for judgment without mercy awaits those who show none. Mercy need not always depend on an offender's apology or repentance, as Christ Himself asked His Father to forgive His unrepentant assassins. We must consciously enforce mercy upon ourselves, even in deep hurts or past grievances, for God requires it. Our hope of receiving mercy from Christ is directly tied to how we treat others, as He takes personally our actions toward every human being. Eternal life or death hinges on this weighty matter of mercy, for those who follow righteousness and mercy find life, righteousness, and honor.

Our Savior Jesus Christ reveals in Matthew 23 that the scribes and Pharisees had perverted judgment and shown no mercy to those they deemed beneath them, exalting themselves even above God. They missed the true essence of the law, focusing on minute details and their own additions while neglecting how to treat others with compassion. Christ went about doing good, showing mercy, healing, and helping, setting a righteous example in all His actions. The Pharisees, however, produced sounds of low fidelity, unrecognizable to God in the intent of His law, as they lacked the qualities of proper judgment, mercy, and faith. The real problem with the scribes and Pharisees was their total selfishness, weighting their judgment toward themselves and leaving no room for mercy. They did not see a need for faith in the forgiveness of Christ, believing they required none. Christ offered them the solution: if they rendered proper judgment without partiality, their emphasis on self would diminish; their mercy would allow others space to make mistakes and repent; and with true fidelity, they would treat everyone as Christ did. Had they applied these weightier matters of the law—judgment, mercy, and faith—their attitudes would have shifted from selfish carnal goals to outgoing concern for others, displaying the real love of God.