Mercy trumps Sacrifice: "Bringing others into the Faith."
Matthew 9:13 “The he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
As I read this verse I can hear I Sam. 25-26 in the background where David shows mercy both to Nabal and Saul. This makes sense, especially with the concern that Matthew has for connecting Jesus with the continued story of Israel and especially as the messiah from this line of David. David foreshadows Jesus in I Sam. 25-26 with his attention, not to the ritual and sacrifice, but to the action of mercy upon those that rise against him. Perhaps Matthew is writing to a community that is so involved with “right” sacrifice that it consumes their lives and leaves no room for mercy. Maybe Jesus is calling them to stop focusing on the empty ritual and begin focusing on the life giving ministry of offering mercy. Maybe Jesus is calling them to see the world the way He sees it and to have compassion with the world the same way that Jesus does. Maybe it is mercy that invites people to hear the call of Jesus; maybe empty sacrifice only pushes the “sinners” farther away but these acts of mercy invites “sinners” into the journey of faith.
You can’t help but read this text today and hear the anthem (problem) with many of our churches today. We are so focused on having things done a specific way that we slip into a focus of the “sacrifices”…..the going through the motions that we forget about the offering of mercy that is at the heart of transformation. What would it mean for my life to be a life of offering mercy? What would it mean for me to shift my focus from the empty ritual and direct my focus on acts of mercy? What would it mean for Crossroads to be the kind of church that refused to let “empty tradition” to get in the way and devoted itself into offering mercy to the broken of the world? I think we would get to experience real life.
Lord, help me to be a person that doesn’t focus on the ritual of sacrifice but use me to be an instrument of mercy within this world that through me you may bring others to faith. Give me the faith to trust in your guidance and direction. Amen!!!
Jesus calls me to act with mercy to make room for faith in others!
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