February 16th Lenten Reflection

Matthew 9:10–17

As Jesus 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. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

Reflection by Rev. Brian Gross

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

When the Pharisees questioned why Jesus would dine in a house with tax collectors and sinners Jesus replied that he had not come for the righteous sake but for the sinners. They attempt to point out the major faux paus of Jesus to offer religious teaching to these people who are the lost ones. The ones beyond help. Time would be much better spent helping the righteous become more righteous. And besides, how could they possibly remain pure and undefiled sitting and eating with these people? Jesus admonishes them with the statement that he desires mercy over sacrifice. He desires compassion and love over strict adherence to the law or their religion. James 1:27 tells us “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress.” In other words, to show mercy.

This is the Good News, isn’t it? That God is a merciful God and not one to keep track of our transgressions. Why then should we feel that to be a good Christian we need to keep track of each other’s transgressions, trespasses, sins, quirks, or whatever it is we feel is wrong with them? The Pharisees where in charge of doing just that and we point fingers at them and shake our heads and yet we too sometimes feel that is our job as “good” Christians. I will bet that in someone else’s eyes we are the ones committing transgressions, trespasses, sins or are just too quirky to be in public. If we are to be shown mercy, then shouldn’t we show mercy. Seems like I’ve heard that somewhere before. Oh yes, the sermon on the mount. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”