|
|
|
|
"If you
knew what is meant, I desire mercy not sacrifice, you would not have
condemned these innocent men." |
|
|
Matthew
12:7 |
|
|
Jesus'
followers were caught picking grain on the Sabbath and eating it--clearly a
violation of Jewish law. When it
was pointed out to Jesus (did the Pharisees just follow Jesus around looking
for offenses?) Jesus responded with this quote. He didn't scold his followers--he knew
they were hungry and tired. To
him, the following of the law was secondary to the other work they were
doing--establishing the Kingdom.
He treated them with mercy.
The other day, I saw a show on a news channel talking about the
immigration problem. People were
shown who had come into this country illegally. An immigration official was
interviewed who described them as criminals--he felt they were no different
than if they'd robbed and murdered--criminals. I don't want to debate immigration in
the Daily, believe me, but I do wonder where mercy and compassion come into
the mix. As followers of Jesus we
are to imitate Jesus in our daily lives.
Can we show the mercy and compassion that Jesus shows? Picking and eating grain on the
Sabbath seems like a silly offense to us, but it was huge in the Jewish
culture. And yet, Jesus showed
mercy to the offenders. Can we look at others with compassion and mercy even
though their behavior may not jive with us? Blessings on your summer weekend! Love, Heidi |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Previous |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|