The Great Tripartite Values (Matt. 23:23-24): Neglected But More Important for the Sustainability of any Relationship

Abstract

No matter how big a box appears, only a right key, no matter how little, inserted at the right place opens it. According to Biblical account, the Law which God gave to mankind through Moses (Exod. 24:12) is not just for fun but for their togetherness with one another and with God. The Law of God is useful to the extent that its spirit is kept. Law kept without the right motive is as useless as the breaking of the said law. Jesus knows that the Scribes and Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses and rarely practice what they teach with the right motive. Their irresponsibility in the face of the law is responsible for the battered image of the Law and scattered nature of the people of God and their subsequent appearance like sheep without shepherds (Matt. 9:36-37; 23:37-39). This is because they neglected the weightier part of the law namely justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The aim of this paper is to show that the divisions we have today in our relationships with one another and with God are because of a lack of justice, mercy, and faithfulness in keeping promises. The paper argues that if these tripartite values are invoked anew in our relationships with God and ourselves, we would be better for it. Significantly, this work will be of immense benefit to everyone who is in a relationship. The method we shall employ is library research which is mainly the exegesis of Matt. 23:23-24.