Mercy or Sacrifice?

 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples.  When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”  On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matthew 9:10-13

Jesus told the Pharisees to go an learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."  Is there any indication the Pharisees ever learned what that meant?  Do you know what it means?

The words of Jesus are a repetition of the words of God to wayward Israel, through the prophet Hosea.  A little background is necessary here.  Hosea is one of those we call a minor prophet, but his task and his message was major. He was delivering God's message to the children of Israel, who at this time were straying far from God. 

Hosea 1 starts the story when it says God first started speaking to Israel through Hosea, he told Hosea to go among the prostitutes and find a wife.  What?  Why would God say something like that? It gets worse.  Hosea was also told some of the children born to this prostitute wife, would be from other men.  It looks to me like God is making a big mess of things, but he explains to Hosea that this will be an illustration to Israel of the way they have committed adultery against God by worshiping other Gods.

Hosea did as directed and married a woman named Gomer who bore him a son and the boy was named Jezreel.  His name signified punishment that would be coming to put an end to Israel's unfaithfulness.   Gomer became pregnant again and bore a daughter, who was given the name Lo-ruhamah, meaning, "not loved." A third child was born, a son, and he was given the name Lo-ammi which means, "not of my people." 

In this illustration God is giving, he wants Hosea to understand he represents the faithful husband who has been wronged by an unfaithful wife. Israel is portrayed as the unfaithful wife in that they have strayed from God and into the worship of false gods. But things got worse. Gomer ran off and the next time Hosea saw her, she was on the auction block just about to be sold. 

God instructed Hosea to go and buy her back, and love her as his wife again.  Surely God doesn't mean that.  He couldn't expect Hosea to take her back after the places she has been and the things she has done. But that is exactly what God wanted him to do.  And he did. He showed love to her, just in the same way that God desired for Israel to know they were still loved. 

Israel had failed God. They had all sinned and damaged the relationship God wanted to have for them.  But, through Hosea, God extends a call to repentance. In that call are the words Jesus repeated to the Pharisees. " For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

Yes, God still desires our obedience, but more than that, he desires US.  God is saying even to us today, "I want you to know me, and that is more important than burnt offerings, or any other act of obedience."  That's what it means!  My desire is to be obedient to all of God's commands, but if I make those commands into law, I am just like the Pharisees. God's primary objective is for you to know him and love him, just as he knows and loves you.

<ronbwriting@yahoo.com>