When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.
This passage stood out to me as I was reading Matthew 9 last night. What is mercy? What is sacrifice?
I took some time to think about the literal meaning of each word, what they mean to me and how Jesus meant them when responding to the Pharisees.
Mercy = compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone who is deserving of punishment or harm
Sacrifice = the act of slaughtering an animal or surrendering a possession as an offering to God OR the act of giving up something of value for the sake of something more worthy
So, in this passage, Jesus is explaining to the Pharisees that He has come to offer restoration for those who are sick. THEN, he challenges the Pharisees by quoting a piece of scripture from the prophet Hosea - a passage the Pharisees probably knew like the back of their hand but never understood the TRUE meaning.
Hosea 6:6 is the passage Jesus is quoting. God is speaking to the people of Israel:
"I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings."
God is pleading with the people to love Him and know Him instead of try to impress Him and others with deeds, vain sacrifices and offerings.
Jesus wants the Pharisees to change their ways and turn from their pride and selfishness and realize they are sinners also - no different than the tax collectors he was sharing a meal with.
That is the beautiful thing about mercy...we have been given an invaluable gift that we could NEVER afford or work to earn.
Christ wants to be with us, really know us, and heal us despite our sins and guilty hearts.
When Jesus heard this, he said,
1 comment:
this spoke right to my heart today!
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