DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHAT DOES GOD WANT?

" 'But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice."  For I did not come to call  the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.' "    (Matthew 9:13)

Here's the scenario.  Matthew was a man despised by the people because he was a tax collector.  Tax collectors were hated for a couple of reasons.  First, they were agents of the Romans who occupied Israel.  Also, they were noted to be thieves who padded their own pockets by charging more tax than was due. They were considered to be unpatriotic and also robbers. In comparison, the Pharisees thought they were good because of their righteous works. 

After Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, he invited Jesus to dinner at his house, and Jesus accepted. When the righteous Pharisees saw this, they were indignant that Jesus would dine with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus responded by saying that the healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick.  The Pharisees did not know that they were sinners in need of a savior.

Jesus quoted the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who, speaking for God, said , "I desire mercy and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). But He omitted the rest of the verse, which the Pharisees would know – that God desires "the knowledge of God more than sacrifices."  Hosea was speaking the word of the Lord to the nation of Judah who had been unfaithful to God.  They were like the dew which was there in the morning but evaporated away (Hosea 6:4).  The Hebrew word for "mercy" has the basic meaning of kindness, or by implication, of "piety toward God."    This involves faithfulness and loyalty, as the marginal reading of the New King James Version says.  They were a fickle bunch.

What does God really want from us?  Does He want our money?  Does He want our sacrifices?  Does He want our acts of mercy to others? Does He want our religious deeds? He certainly does not want our self-righteousness.  What God really wants is for us to know Him, to love Him, and to worship Him in spirit and in truth.  Out of that springs our heartfelt loyalty and faithfulness.  That is worth more than anything else we can offer.  

Love, Dad