I can't imagine what it must've been like to be Jesus when he was confronted by the Pharisees or their agents every day. They thought they knew Scripture better than anyone, but at the same time, they were talking to the dude who might as well have written the book they thought they knew.
I bet, in some ways, it was a lot like when someone writes a flamboyant novel or research paper, and then at an interview about it, the reporters barrage him with questions about what his stance is on whatever based on a single line they lifted out of context and used to describe the entire work.
Or, for a better example, imagine Christina Rossetti sitting in a college-level literature classroom as the students discuss what symbols are at work in Goblin Market. The interpretation of the work is not the same as the intention of the work.
Let me get to the point. While reading Matthew today, I read the part where the Pharisees want to know why Jesus is eating with the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus replied with one of my favorite Bible quotes, "It's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." The verse that came next surprised me, perhaps because I'm familiar with this story from another gospel where Jesus elaborates more on that point. Here, however, he gives a different explanation than the one I'm familiar with.
He tells the Pharisees to go and research what the Scripture says concerning what God wants, specifically about Him wanting mercy and not sacrifice.
My Bible had a little note on that phrase directing me to Hosea 6:6. Now, I took it upon myself to check it out and see what it meant for myself. Sure, I know what Jesus taught overall, and I've read the Bible enough times I could probably give a convincing answer if someone asked me to explain why God wanted mercy not sacrifice, but I knew deep down that if it were a test question, my essay would be wrong.
I'm okay faking it on a Shakespeare test if I have to, but I don't want to allow myself the same lack of motivation, knowledge, and confidence when it comes to what I believe. My former Shakespeare prof might have been a perfectionist, but God's perfect.
Here's what it means that God wants mercy and not sacrifice, at least my interpretation thereof.
Yeah, sure, God allows us to have ups and downs in life, but even when we're down in the dumps, we have the promise of eternity in heaven with God by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Since we have such a hope, we should praise the Lord, giving him all the credit that's due, cause God's not going to leave us high and dry.
But, we need to be careful not to get too religious and too dependent upon our rituals. When we bury God beneath going to church on Sunday or doing a daily devotion, we lose track of what God wants for us.
Tithing more and slaughtering sheep aren't what brings us close to God. To know God is to imitate God, and God is a loving and merciful God. It stands to reason that God wants us to love and forgive one another, just as he loves and forgives us. He also wants us to acknowledge his presence in our lives.
Sadly, we've all done wrong and broken faith with God. As much in our society today as in that of the Israelites, we've let our leaders and our religion distract us from God's true intentions. We've lusted after people who aren't our partner; we might as well have screwed the most attractive of them.
In order for us to be fruitful, it's necessary that our crimes and wrongdoings come out, even if only through our confession of them. It's easy to forget God knows what we've done wrong, whether or not we want to admit it ourselves.
Every one has one sin they're guilty of, be it befriending the world, burning with sexual passion for the wrong someone, getting hammered at a wild party, feeling a tad homoerotic, or simply forgetting God would help if asked.
We're supposed to stand out from the crowd, living as beacons of light to an otherwise dark world. Because we trust in God and have Jesus as out Lord and Savior, we're supposed to be completely different than who we were before we believed and repented.
Don't let your self-confidence and pride mess you up; if you're not careful, you might forget God did everything in your life, not you.
Know what you believe and don't get lured off the path by a cluster of sweet berries just a step or two away. They're poison. Can't you see the skeletons piled around the bush?
Stop complaining about your so-called hopeless situation. Use the gifts God gave you to make the world a better place, not to get rich quick.
(Psst, I think God's trying to get your attention. You might want to see what he has to say--it looks important.)
Don't worry about whatever religious practice you think usurps them all. It doesn't. What matters is forgiving whoever hurt you the way God forgave you when you hurt Him.
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