I want you to be merciful...
“Now go away and learn the meaning of this verse in Scripture, ‘It
isn’t your sacrifices and your gifts I want—I want you to be merciful.’ For I have come to urge sinners, not the
self-righteous, back to God.” (Matthew 9:13, LB)
Here Jesus was referring to Hosea 6:6 where it says, “I don’t want
your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t
want your offerings—I want you to know me.”
Know here is the Hebrew word daath, Strong’s #1847. The definition is knowledge but it is deeper
than a head knowledge. It is more a
prophetic knowledge or perception received from God. The root word is yada, Strong’s #3035. It means to discern good from evil, gain
insight and wisdom, understand and obey.
When Peter confesses that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living
God it is probably a close example.
Jesus responded in Matthew 16:17, “Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by
flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.”
Knowing starts at the time we receive Christ. It says in Luke
10:22, “At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise
You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things
from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father,
for this was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been entrusted to Me
by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows
who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal
Him.”
A knowing Him is not only receiving revelation from God but to act
on it in a way that demonstrates understanding and sharing of His heart. 1 John
2:4 says, “Someone may say, ‘I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I
belong to Christ.’ But if he doesn’t do what
Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But
those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and
more. That is the way to know whether or
not you are a Christian. Anyone who says
he is a Christian should live as Christ did.”
To know someone in this way, is to love them with one’s whole
heart, mind, soul and strength. It is
belonging to Christ by not only receiving Him as one’s Savior, but in receiving
revelation and leading by the Holy Spirit, to know His will. And beyond this, it is to obey Him and follow
Him, living as He lived.
Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 16:24 that, “If anyone wants
to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” We need to remember that it is in dying to
ourselves and our own will that we will genuinely come to know Christ. We can say that we “know” Him and “love” Him
but if we are not taking up our cross and denying ourselves, our own will and
our own desires, we don’t come to know Him.
Asking myself, what are we willing to do to really know Him? Philippians 2:6-8 says, “Let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who,
existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”
So, coming back to know Him, daath, it really means death. We know Him by death to ourselves on the cross
for loving and serving others. Right
now, for me this means giving up my rights, desires and even the things I have worked incredibly hard for, really
enjoy and deny myself.
Our task is to obey God and seek first His Kingdom. As we put Him as first place in our lives
and live as He wants us to in obedience, we will have all we need. He is our exceedingly great reward and not the
gifts and momentary treasures He gives us.
Isaac was the joy of Abraham’s heart. He was the promised son that Abraham had
waited for year after year. Then when he
received his son and began to have this incredible relationship with him that
he always dreamed, the Lord asked Abraham to place Isaac on the altar and
sacrifice him. I can't imagine the struggle Abraham went through in his heart as he walked Isaac to the altar that day to offer him up and back to God.
Are we willing to sacrifice what seems so precious? The things that God has actually placed in
our heart? We finally feel like we ‘arrive’
in the sense that we are holding in our hands the very promises that we were
given. Then God asks us to sacrifice it
and give it away for the sake of love for Him.
Are we willing to place them on the altar and give them up if God asks? If we genuinely want to know Him and walk
with Him, even the incredible things He gives us.
Most importantly, in seeking the Kingdom of God first and His
righteousness, it means being merciful to others. At the root of the gospel is mercy. The wings of the Cherubim are stretched out
wide and it is under this merciful covering that we find the Presence of God.
Whenever we love others, are merciful and put others first, we find
the Kingdom of God and His presence. A
bruise reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not put out. The Lord makes room for others in His mercy
rather than judge if they are deserving.
The Lord is an includer of people that are not deserving and did
not earn this position. We see this with Matthew. Matthew wrote the gospel story that we read over and over. Previously, this man was a tax collector that was
undeserving of this kind of position. He
didn’t earn it, but Jesus, in His mercy, saw his potential and called him out
to follow Him into it. In the same way,
God would have us deny ourselves to make room for others out of mercy and
compassion for them – not because they are deserving.
Lord, as we seek You first, You promise that all these things will
be added to you. Help us to surrender
back all these things to You and trust them in Your hands. They are Yours to hold and direct and
redirect as You desire. Most of all,
direct our hearts by Your mercy into places of life and growth.
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