God desires mercy from us - not sacrifice (Matt 9:9-13)

Matthew 9:9-13 ⁹ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. ¹⁰ And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. ¹¹ When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹² But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

Jesus is quoting the prophet Hosea:  "For God desires steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6).   The people of Hosea's time were much like the Pharisees of Jesus' time.  In fact, they are like many religious people (including Christians) today.  They were great at all the religious stuff - doing the temple ritual complete with sacrifices and offerings, keeping a long list of rules, etc.  They thought they were tough stuff religiously - they thought that they had found a way to force God to bless them.  Wrong!  Their sacrifices, offerings, and rule keeping got them no where with God.  Nor do ours today.

Instead Jesus wants us to offer hesed to one another just like God has offered it to us.  The New Testament translates the word as mercy, kindness, compassion, even grace.  The Old Testament associates the word with God's covenant to us where God offered us mercy, kindness, compassion, grace even though we can't do anything to merit it.  God wants our response to his hesed to be an offering of hesed to others.

In other words, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that God wants them to offer mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace to the tax collector and other sinners.  Tax collectors were the most detested people in Jerusalem.  They took their fellow Jew's money and gave it to the Roman occupiers of Jerusalem while pocketing a good chunk for themselves.  They hurt their fellow Jews and strengthened the oppressors for their own gain.  They offered no mercy to their own people in order that they might get wealthy.  But Jesus says to offer even them hesed.

This is what God wants from us... to offer everyone hesed - mercy, kindness, compassion, and grace.  Even those who are wrong, even those who hurt us, even those who haven't asked and don't want forgiveness.  This is the way of Jesus.  Of course, Jesus demonstrated this teaching throughout his life and on the cross.  Demonstrate hesed today!

*****

Luke 5:27-32 ²⁷ After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." ²⁸ And he left everything, and rose and followed him. ²⁹ And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. ³⁰ And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" ³¹ And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; ³² I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Mark 2:14-17 ¹⁴ And as he passed on, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. ¹⁵ And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."