Matthew 9:10-13 (NKJV)
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Before we discuss Mercy here, let us know what is this particular sacrifice that Jesus is referring to. This was the sacrifice of the Pharisees which they were doing according to their Jewish religion. Beside the burnt offerings, one of their religious sacrifices is to separate themselves from impurities: unclean things, unclean animals, and all people outside Jew Commonwealth, especially the sinners, the prostitutes, and the tax collectors. (Ex. 34:12,15, Lev. 15:31, Number 16:21,26).
Pharisees are called ‘separatist’. They got their name from the Hebrew word ‘parash’ which means ‘set apart’.
This was the reason why Christ Jesus answered the question of the Pharisees, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” To them, Jesus as a Jew citizen and teacher should know that association with those sinners was forbidden.
Jesus came from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14) and not a Levite. But as a Teacher, Pharisees would like to always challenge Jesus Christ on His knowledge about the Law of Moses.
In our Gospel, this is one of the many circumstances that Jesus Christ was challenged by the Pharisees, the experts of the Law of Moses and the prophecies of the Scripture. But somehow, the mysteries of GOD hidden in Jesus (Colossians 2:2-3) had not been revealed to them. And GOD chose us through His Grace and Mercy, these mysteries are going to be revealed to us, the sinners who became worthy through the blood of Jesus Christ.
If the Pharisees truly understood the mysteries of the Scripture, they should know that Jesus Christ was quoting Hosea 6:6, which said;
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Jesus Christ wanted those Pharisees to answer their own questions if they claim to be the experts of the Law and the Scripture. He led them to the Book of Hosea.
Book of Hosea is about the relationship of Prophet Hosea with Gomer, the prostitute, who was his wife. GOD paralleled this story to His relationship with the nation of Israel. GOD wants Hosea to display his tender love and mercy with his wife in spite of her great sin. GOD’s purpose is to reveal what HE intended to do the same with Israel’s sins of fornication with their other gods. GOD chose to reveal Himself with this adulterous nation that HE is a Merciful GOD.
This was the fulfillment of what HE said to Moses in Exodus 6:2-3, and 34:6-7 which say;
6:2” And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. 6:3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them.”
34:6 “And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, MERCIFULand gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 34:7 keeping MERCY for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty,”
GOD wants His Mercy to be given to people who admitted that their sins can be eradicated only through GOD’s Mercy and not by the burnt offerings and sacrifices in their obedience of the Law.
Psalms 51:15-17 says;
15
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.”
The LORD declared His disgust in sacrifices in the Book of Isaiah 1:11-18 which says;
11
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of he-goats.
12
“When you come to appear before me,
who requires of you
this trampling of my courts?
13
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
14
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15
When you spread forth your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
16
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
defend the fatherless,
plead for the widow.
18
“Come now, let us reason together,
says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
Our sanctification which is the condition to obtain Eternal Life could not be possible through human efforts like offering sacrifices through the Law. Our sanctification, both Jew and Gentiles, to become as white as snow could only be achieved through the Mercy of GOD.
According to His Great Mercy, HE freed us from the punishment of our sins (Romans 4:7). HE let His begotten Son Jesus Christ took the punishment due to us. That is GOD’s desire; to give Mercy to whom HE wanted to give Mercy.
Romans 9:14-18 explains;
14” What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So it depends not upon man’s will or exertion, but upon God’s mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy upon whomever he wills, and he hardens the heart of whomever he wills.”
Blessed are we who believe in the Mercy of GOD in Christ Jesus! AMEN.
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