Friday, October 13, 2017

Neglecting Others?

"But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places. Woe to you! For you are like concealed tombs, and the people who walk over them are unaware of it." One of the lawyers said to Him in reply, "Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too." But He said, "Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Luke 11:42-46 NASB


"What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on." "Teacher," said an expert in religious law, "you have insulted us, too, in what you just said." "Yes," said Jesus, "what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden. Luke 11:42-46 NLT


These scripture are from the same passage…just different translations. The Pharisees wanted everyone to be as strict about the Law as they were—even down to tithing from the sale of garden herbs like mint. That is pretty picky. Yet they didn’t want to help those in need. No compassion. Jesus was very compassionate—healing and helping people, no matter what day of the week it was or who they were—Jew or Gentile. He was warning the Pharisees—sorrow awaits you. I think they could expect to be sad because they were critical and not willing to help others. There was one expert who boldly told Jesus that he was insulted—but Jesus put him in his place. The “experts” or lawyers were demanding more from the Jews than they could give and what’s more, the experts were not helping others with their problems. Where is the “love your neighbor as yourself” in those religious leaders? Where is the “love your neighbor as yourself” in your life? 

Prayer ~ Jesus—You were the role model for compassion…yet those Pharisees had the gall to be offended. As You challenged them, are You challenging us? Open our eyes and hearts to help us be better servants…and to love our neighbor as ourselves—as You commanded. "You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27. 
Daily Bible Reading: Luke 11


Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table
When I was just a kid about eight years old, my Dad and Uncle Len raised peppermint on our farm. It was a great crop—better than beans or even watermelon. Dad purchased cute little baby geese that grew to be huge geese to weed the fields—so we only had to walk through and make sure there was no nightshade—a deadly weed that even the geese wouldn’t eat and which would make the peppermint oil poisonous. When it came time to harvest, Dad and Len built a huge mint still and there were enormous vats on backs of trucks to hold the peppermint leaves during the distillation process. The aroma of the peppermint oil was amazing—and could be smelled for miles. It was like breathing in heaven.
I’ve been growing peppermint in a little patch of my rose garden by my front door for years. I’ve used it in a few dishes, as a garnish on desserts, and in fresh and dried mint teas, but I’d never even thought of making peppermint jelly until recently. Last week I decided to harvest some mint and do just that—make some jelly. I didn’t want to color it green…that just seems so fake. The first step is just to brew a strong mint tea. Then it is mixed with lemon juice. At that point the smell of mint in the air of my kitchen was overwhelming…bringing back memories of the mint still. Ahhhh! The jelly is easy…but be sure to follow the directions on the pectin package…not the instructions that you just happen to find on the internet. Sometime things don’t turn out as expected…and I have to learn through failure. My first batch is like mint syrup…yummy, but runny. It will make a great sweetener for tea and syrup for pancakes. Enjoy the aroma of the mint…in the syrup and jelly stages.

Pectin Mint Jelly
1½ cups chopped peppermint leaves stepped for at least 10 minutes in 4 ½ cups boiling water

Use 1¾ cups mint tea
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3½ cups sugar
1 3 ounce pouch liquid pectin (CERTO)
Bring 1¾ cups peppermint tea and lemon juice to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar and pectin. Return pan to heat. Bring back to a rolling boil. Stir constantly for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat. Ladle into sterile jelly jars, filling to within ¼ inch of top. Wipe jar rim and threads. Seal with hot two-piece metal lids, screwing bands on tightly.
Process for 10 minutes on a metal rack in a boiling water bath, covering jars with 1 to 2 inches of water. Remove jars and place upright on a towel. Cool completely. If jar does not seal, it must be refrigerated.
Enjoy the mint jelly with lamb, pork, pancakes, muffins or biscuits.
© 2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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