Matthew 12:7
And if you had known what this means, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice," you would not have condemned the guiltless.
The Pharisees had everything figured out, so they thought. However, they missed the continual words of the Scriptures they supposedly loved so dearly, like Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with your God.
Contrast this statement with what Jesus said about the Pharisees in Matthew 23.
For thety preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
You shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces.
You tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and merct and faithfulness.
You also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
We must ask ourselves: Is my Christianity based on Jesus or on me? Do I do what he says for his glory and his kingdom or to be seen by others? This is a heart issue. If we only work on the outside, the result will be empty religion and we will not know God. If we seek Jesus with all our hearts (Jer. 29:13), then we will follow his calling by his power.
Let us not be distracted by empty deeds but seek to follow God with all our hearts. In doing so, he will give us a heart of mercy for others.
Peace,
Jeff Moody
jeffmoody82@gmail.com
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