I Desire Mercy

“If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men.”  Matthew 12:7

The Apostles of Jesus were hungry and they picked heads of grain as they walk along to satisfy their hunger.  As a result, the Pharisees condemned the Apostles for doing what they claimed was “unlawful” on the Sabbath.  They claimed that picking heads of grain as they walked along was considered “work” and, thus, they violated the law requiring rest on the Sabbath.

Really?  Did the Pharisees seriously think that the Apostles sinned by picking grain as they walked along to satisfy their hunger?  Hopefully it’s not hard for us to see the absurdity and irrationality of this condemnation. The Apostles did nothing wrong but were condemned nonetheless.  They were “innocent men” as Jesus points out.

Jesus responds to the irrationality of the Pharisees by reminding them of the Scripture, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”  And He points out that the Apostles were wrongly condemned because the Pharisees do not understand this passage and this command from God for mercy.

The Sabbath commandment to rest was from God.  But the commandment to rest was not a requirement for its own sake.  This was not some legal requirement that somehow honored God just by strictly keeping it.  The Sabbath rest was primarily a gift from God to humanity in that God knew we needed rest and rejuvenation.  He knew we needed time each week to slow down, offer special worship to God and enjoy the company of others.  But the Pharisees turned the Sabbath rest into a burden.  They made it out to be a strict legalistic observance that did nothing to glorify God or refresh the human spirit.

One key truth we can learn from this passage is that God calls us to interpret His law through the eyes of mercy.  Mercy always refreshes us, lifts us up and fills us with new energy.  It motivates us to worship and fills us with hope.  Mercy does not impose a heavy legalistic burden upon us; rather, God’s mercy and law together rejuvenates us and refreshes us.

Reflect, today, upon how you look at God’s commands and His law.  Do you see it as a legalistic and burdensome requirement?  Or do you see it as a blessing of God’s mercy meant to lighten your load?

Lord, help me to love Your law.  Help me to truly see it in the light of Your mercy and grace.  May I be refreshed by all You command and be lifted up by Your will.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Laying Down Your Burdens
Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

This invitation from Jesus is one that we may need to hear far more often than we realize. It’s a gentle invitation to let our Lord lighten our daily burden, relieve our worries, our stress, our concerns and all that weighs us down. It’s an invitation of love and mercy and is one we should always accept.
What is it that burdens you? What is it that weighs you down and tempts you to fall into depression, sorrow or even despair? Is there something that you tend to think about obsessively? Is there some concern that you can’t seem to shake? Whatever it is that troubles your heart, Jesus wants to lift it.
Sometimes we can go through life with heavy burdens that we are afraid to let go of. We can be fearful of coming to Jesus and fearful of letting Him in. Coming to Jesus means we must face whatever it is that burdens us with honesty and openness and we must face these burdens in the presence of Jesus.
But the key thing we need to know is that Jesus is gentle, merciful and generous in forgiveness and grace. He longs to lift our burdens far more than we long to have them lifted. He sees the oppression many face and so deeply desires to have that oppression eliminated.
Reflect, today, upon that gentle invitation from Jesus: “Come to me.” Come to Him without fear and without hesitation. Turn everything over to Him and let Him sort things out. He loves you more than you know and will set your feet on the right path.
Lord, I do come to You and I do lay down my life and every burden before You. I give You my life, my hopes, my fears, my past, my future and everything that worries me. Jesus, I give You everything. Jesus, I trust in You.