Mercy

Matthew 9:13 AMPC

Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy [that is, readiness to help those in trouble] and not sacrifice and sacrificial victims. For I came not to call and invite [to repentance] the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), but sinners (the erring ones and all those not free from sin).

I ask myself this:

How do people without faith relate to me and me to them?

Am I someone they can have a laugh or share a tear with?

Or am I someone who is "holier than thou", keeping such folk at arms length, afraid of being contaminated?

To the religious, Jesus was and still IS a stumbling block. 

In v.10 we see Jesus having a meal and, like a magnet, many of the notorious "bad" folk were drawn to come and share a meal with Him.

How easy Jesus must have been to mix with. He can't have been intimidating or solemn because those kind of people would have avoided Him like the plague. He must have exuded love and the simple joys of life.

Read on and we see the Pharisees asking Jesus' disciples (too cowardly to ask the Master Himself) why Jesus is mixing with these "sinners".

Thankfully Jesus doesn't miss what they said. He's quick to put them straight. He tells them the mission He is on: to bring healing of hearts and lives and restore them to a right relationship to God. Like a heart doctor He was reaching out to those who needed a heart transplant!!

He tells all who are too religious to mix with those without faith...

Go back to school, learn what God really wants... MERCY not sacrifice.

God is not as much impressed with us keeping a load of rules and regulations (sacrifice), but with how much mercy is flowing freely out of our hearts to others.

Come back to Jesus' school with me and let's learn to be heart healers distributing mercy !