Mercy Not Sacrifice

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9:9-13)

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.  Apparently, the Pharisees were more interested in sacrifices at the Temple for people to receive forgiveness for their sins.  Nice Temple economy at the expense of those with little in their pockets.  Not much mercy in that House when there was little or nothing to sacrifice by those needing to have their sins forgiven.

Jesus turned it all around.  He was about forgiveness that comes with mercy, not coins thrown into a Temple treasury.  Jesus was there for sinners - the sick - helping them understand the Father didn’t need a Temple intervention to bring about forgiveness.  He also was about the importance of mercy we must show to one another.  The “righteous” might feel it’s unnecessary to show mercy because they feel above it all, especially above those "beneath them."

We’ve all heard the expression, “He’s a self-righteous ##%!”  If we describe someone as self-righteous, we disapprove of them because they are convinced that they are right in their beliefs, attitudes, and behavior and that other people are wrong.  Jesus warns us not to be self-righteous, but to be merciful by being at table in his house with tax collectors and sinners.

Deacon David Pierce