October 22, 2020
But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would have not condemned the innocent… - Matthew 12:6-7
The verse above come from a familiar story. Jesus and his disciples are walking through some grainfields. They have been traveling and are quite hungry. It just happens to be on the Sabbath day, which is a day of no work for the Hebrew people. But in their hunger, the disciples see that the grains of wheat are ready for harvest, so they simply pick a few, grind them in their hands, and eat.
I don’t know that any of us would consider what they did work, no more than picking a few blue or blackberries off the trail while on a hike. The disciples simply did what they could to pacify their hunger. Yet, we see come in contact with the Pharisees in this story, the keepers and teachers of the law, who believe that being righteous is all about keeping every letter of the law, doing exactly as one has been taught to do. In their eyes, this would be considered work on the Sabbath, and would need to be atoned for. Now, part of this ritual of atonement, in those days, would have included an offering of some kind, or sacrifice of some kind, or both. The idea here is that if they Pharisees call out the disciples who are travelers in this instance, and get them to atone, they will fill their own pockets or bellies from the offerings made.
It is this staunch interpretation of the law, that benefits only them, that Jesus speaks against, quoting the prophet Hosea’s call for mercy and not sacrifice. This is a call that any Pharisee would have known well having read and understanding the scriptures (our old testament). The Pharisees would recognize that Jesus is speaking of a greater kind of mercy, the mercy that God desires.
The mercy that comes from God, is often a reflection of the mercy we show one another. It’s that same reflection we pray when we ask = “forgive our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” It is a call that we look inside and truly desire to reflect the God who has saved us, in the way we treat others.
Then maybe we might like Jesus says, realize that there is something greater than an earthly temple, greater than a worldly kingdom, but there is something more, that comes from above, and we are part of that even now, as we build on the love of Christ for all.
Grace & Peace,
Sam