I Desire Mercy, not Sacrifice

I Desire Mercy, not SacrificeMatthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”To put this verse into context for you, I will read the few verses before this verse. Matthew 9:9-12 “ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Then this is when Jesus said, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”I was unsure what this verse meant, so I looked it up. I found a good article that explained what is happening here. The article is called “Mercy Not Sacrifice,” and it is on the webpage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Pennsylvania. I will put a link for it in the show notes.  Let’s start with the definition of mercy. According to the article I read, Jesus “was quoting the prophet Hosea, who, centuries earlier, had condemned the Jews for attempting to excuse their idolatry and their oppression of the poor by offering the prescribed animal sacrifices. What Jesus is saying in this verse is that it is not all about the laws and what we can do or what we can give up so that we can look holy or we can look religious. The Pharisees looked around Matthew’s house, and they saw a bunch of nameless sinners and tax collectors. Jesus wants us to know people's names. Jesus wants us to get involved with our hearts and not just our heads. The article gave the example of someone who joins a service project to help out around someone’s house. When she is done working, she talks with the owner and finds out the owner is very lonely. Now this woman has a choice to make. Does she head home so she can get the long list of errands done that day? Or does she accept the invitation for a cup of coffee and visit with this person? The woman in the article goes in and has a cup of coffee. They have a great conversation, and they talk each week when they see each other at mass. The woman even stops by occasionally to see how the owner is doing. She prays for him in her personal prayer time. They have formed a relationship. The article says, “When we view what we do in Jesus’s name as simply nameless, faceless sacrifices, we have missed the whole concept of “love as I have loved you.” It’s all personal with Jesus. It is all about relationships.Since we are talking about mercy in this verse, I think this is a good time to address why Catholics feel like we are required to do works of mercy. Let me preface this by saying I am not an expert in this area. I am learning just as you are. If you have questions you want me to answer or if you think I have gotten something wrong, feel free to email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com and let me know. The works of mercy are a chance for us to give witness to Christ. Jesus entrusted his followers with the responsibility of caring for others. He identified himself as the one whom his disciples would love and care for: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:40. Jesus asks us to see him in every person we meet, especially in those who are suffering in need. He asks us to care for each person in a spirit of loving service, knowing that we are really loving and caring for Christ, who, through the Holy Spirit, lives on in every person.There are two different types of works of mercy.