I desire mercy not sacrifice...

Some people see Jesus hanging out with the wrong crowd (sinners and tax collectors) and the Pharisees say, "Why is he hanging out with THOSE people (Matthew 9:9-13)?" Jesus response? Go read your Bible. In Hosea, the prophet says from God, "I desire mercy not sacrifice."


That may not seem like a big deal, however, when sacrifice is how your sins are forgiven, God is telling the people that the Creator cares more about compassion and forgiveness than doing that which allowed God to forgive their sins.

Jesus is reminding the Pharisees that it is more important that we love people than anything else, and all are worthy of our time, our love, our hope for redemption. Whoever you think that God has moved to the margins and excluded from God's grace, they are not. There is a place for that person, just like there is a place for you in God's kingdom. God does want us to change, to sin no more, but don't ever imagine there is a person who is past saving. No longer worthy of our action.

Too often we look at people who are struggling with poverty, with addiction, or with past mistakes and we say that person is not worthy. The funny thing is when we are the ones who have struggled we want mercy. When it is someone else, we want judgment on them. God says, "I desire mercy not sacrifice." Are you seeping yourself in the form of religion (sacrifice) without the heart of what it means to follow Jesus (mercy)?

Yesterday I went to a ministry called Reveal Ministries, an incredible group of people who are living out mercy. Are you looking to serve, to make a difference? This is one opportunity to grow in mercy!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time to Grow Up

This morning I lost my wallet. Well lost is probably not the correct word, I temporarily misplaced it. Whenever I lose something, especially something important, I get anxious, even frantic. Most people have outgrown the problem of losing their keys or their wallet by having specific places to put it. I struggle with this (I often give the excuse that it's because it is how my brain works, while true it's an excuse) because I have not taken the time and effort to develop a pattern of where to put my important stuff. I am a very forgetful person, my dad used to say I would forget my head if it was not attached, but with the proper effort and training, I could learn to change my ways. Friends, the same is true with our faith. We must choose to put effort and energy into growing in mature followers of Jesus. Check out Hebrews 6:1-9: So let’s press on to maturity, by moving on from the basics about Christ’s word. Let’s not lay a foundation of turning away from dead works, of f
Read more

This world IS our home and it DOES matter when we lose the battle...

You might be wondering what this blog is about today, or you might have already connected the title with two popular Christian songs on the radio: Home by Chris Tomlin and Greater by Mercy Me. Both songs represent a theology that is an epidemic among popular Christianity today. Many Christians believe that this world is not really our home, that it is just a temporary place that we are passing through and (hopefully if we found Christ!) we go TO heaven and not experience eternal conscious torment in hell. That allows us to say (as it says in the song Greater by Mercy Me) that if we lose the battle with doubt or sin, it doesn't matter because we have the grace of God and so we still get to go to heaven (side note: this isn't exactly what the song means, but it is what it says. The song seems to be saying that because we are redeemed we don't have to earn grace. That is true but it overstates the point). The Christian world has focused on eternal salvation, however follow
Read more

Thoughts from the first five chapters of Luke

Last week I challenged people to read the book of Luke over the next month, and I am very excited about that! I am now realizing the challenge, however, of blogging over 5 chapters of the Bible! I am going to hit some highlights, feel free to comment below if you have thoughts or questions. First of all, Luke is actually book 1 of a saga that also includes Acts! Many people call it Luke-Acts because it was probably meant to be read as one continuous story (hmm maybe we should read acts together next...).  Chapter 1 "I have also decided to write a carefully ordered account for you, most honorable Theophilus." Theophilus is probably an honorific and it means friend of God or beloved of God. It is debated whether the book is written to an actual person or to all believers whom Luke is calling friends of God. The story of the birth of John the Baptist recalls stories in the Hebrew text that are similar such as Sarah and Abraham with the birth of Isaac (Genesis 18)
Read more