“Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” Matt. 12:5-7
Devotional Thought For The Day
I don’t know if anyone thought of this seeming inconsistency during the 1,400 years from the institution of the sacrificial system, which was designed as a constant remembrance of God’s promise of a Savior through this formal worship protocol of sacrifices, until the time when Jesus brought it up. I don’t recall having read anything like this. I suspect some of the priests might have reflected upon it as they butchered animals and built the fires for the sacrifices on the Sabbath [see Numbers 28:9,10; Exod. 35:3]. I know that pastors today reflect upon the innumerable thoughts and activities which encumber and interfere with their pious worship during the course of a Sunday morning, and also as they go about their daily ministry through the week. In that we are sinful human beings it is impossible to conduct the service, publicly read the Scriptures, preach the sermon, sing the hymns, and administer the Sacrament without sin. Nor can we keep sin completely at bay as we go through our weekly work. Perhaps this doesn’t bother all servants of the Word, but I’m certain a goodly number have spent time in confession and perhaps even quandary over this reality. Thankfully, we too are held “guiltless” because “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The same is true for all Christians in our normal daily lives. We are called to serve God day and night in all that we think, do, and say. But again, we are sinful human beings, and a good bit of our time in this world is passed with less than pious thoughts, concerns, and behaviors, all of which profane God’s Name. Thankfully, “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” [Rom. 8:1] As we confess our sins “God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 Jn. 1:9] This is what Jesus was encouraging and pressing upon His critics when citing Hosea 6:6 and reiterating God’s desire for mercy and for a true and genuine knowledge of God – of His steadfast and enduring love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and kindness toward us. Nothing has changed since the days of Hosea or since the days of Jesus time on earth – God’s priority is still toward mercy and steadfast love and against “condemning the guiltless,” those who through repentance and faith have had their sin and guilt washed and cleansed away in Jesus’ blood.
Since human sin has infused very difficult and problematic realities into the world, and aside from simply destroying all of humanity or choosing to treat sin as nothing [and both of these responses, by themselves, reveal a lack of love], the realities of human sin and God’s love has meant that God’s reaction to human sin has been nuanced and complex, creating what appears to us to be inconsistency, paradox, or even contradiction. We tend to desire simplicity, and we see human beings lining up on either side of the aisle – either utterly condemning all who sin [in utter hypocrisy, with no mercy] or capitulating to human sin and denying that any human behavior is sinful [that there is no need for mercy]. Again, both of these responses lack love, real and genuine love. It is difficult, but we are also called to learn what this means: “I desire mercy not sacrifice,” an understanding of God’s gracious mercy and love which negates condemnation of those who remain weak and sinful but who are “guiltless” in the sight of God, forgiven, washed and cleansed from all sin. This is a challenge, one lost by the Pharisees and innumerable adherents of other religions, and also by those who insanely refuse to acknowledge any distinctions in human behaviors, who reject all moral judgments. But it is a challenge that all Christians, all who truly know and believe God’s love for us, continue to engage and grow in, to love one another as God has loved us.
This problem also exists within the church – in fact, is intensified within the church. We have people within the church whose love is shallow and whose understanding is minimal – who do not know or understand mercy. Some condemn the guiltless; others want the church to “dumb down” God’s law, the fulfillment of which is love [Rom. 13:10]. The challenge is poignant to those who are sincere in love, who recognize the wretched destructiveness of all sin, but who also recognize and confess their own sin and live daily in God’s mercy and forgiveness. This is what Jesus invites us to, and urges upon us. It enables us to rejoice that we are able to serve God even though our weakness and sin interferes with our duty – that even though our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, Christ’s blood has made us perfectly clean [Is. 64:6; Eph. 5:25-27]. In this we are able to identify sin for what it is, and yet to focus our ministry on mercy, God’s great mercy and forgiveness, which we also extend to others. There is no other place on earth where this occurs apart from the Christian church. And although it is difficult and complex, at times confusing and disorienting, it is the way of Christ, and the only blessed way of human being and living in this fallen world. May we heed Jesus’ instruction and rejoice to learn more and more about this mercy, which God desires.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, we too drift to the condemnatory posturing of the Pharisees, or to the licentious posturing of those who are ignorant of the intrinsic love in Your law. Forbid that we become caught and stuck in either of these denials of Your love and mercy. Help us to learn Your thinking and Your loving that we remain in Your mercy and extend it to others. Amen.