Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didnt come to call righteous people, but sinners. - Matthew 9:13 How does God want us to live? Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6 in the verse, which is reminiscent of another well-known passage, Micah 6:6-8. Micah 6:8 tells us that the Lord desires us to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. Notice that Gods command is not a formulaic pattern for righteousness that allows us to be in control. If all we have to do is obey rules and make sacrifices, it is up to us to choose our sacrifices and decide how much obedience is good enough. Our encounter with God would then become an accounting list rather than a relationship. Discipleship is not checking off items on a righteous list but rather seeing the world through the eyes of Jesus and responding with love to human need. Jesus wants us to understand that mercy is a lifestyle. Those who considered themselves righteous but didnt practice mercy hadnt seen the kingdom of God. They didnt understand that Gods vision for the future was that all would be healed, invited, and included within the everlasting, steadfast love of God. The irony of this verse is that no one is righteous enough to stand before God without the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Jesus came for us all. Prayer: O Jesus, thank you for coming for us sinners. Teach me to live mercifully, like you. Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:00:00 +0000
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