Enduring Mercy | Talk Jesus
"But if you had known what [this] means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. Matthew 12:7 NKJV
On this day in 2006, Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh earned a Nobel Peace Prize for providing loans to encourage economic development among the world’s poor.
Like him, Jesus labored to help the underprivileged. He explained that hungry individuals, like His disciples (Matthew 12:1-2), and the disenfranchised, like the man with the withered hand (Matthew 12:9-13), should experience mercy rather than condemnation. Jesus pointed out that precedent had already been established when David feed his soldiers (Matthew 12:3-6) and the priests ate the food at the temple (Matthew 12:5).
Jesus also documents how the religious leaders often misunderstood the scriptures and sacred traditions, which led to their judgmental attitudes and behaviors. He confronted their critical spirit, making it clear that God desires “mercy, not sacrifice.”
Like the religious leaders Matthew writes about, you are profoundly influenced by the cultures and traditions you grew up in. They deeply impact the amount of mercy you extend. It’s wise to examine where your values come from and how they align with scripture. Otherwise, you can end up following your church’s traditions instead of Jesus.
Even though you may never receive a peace prize for helping the poor, remember that God is more impressed when you prize the peace that mercy brings.
Prayer: Father, show me where my values truly come from so that I might live out the mercy You desire.
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