Mercy and Sacrifice

Text: Matt. 9:9-13, Hos. 5:15—6:6

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

            I think we can safely say that we as a congregation have enjoyed having church work students as a part of our life together. And even though they’re all away for the summer, today’s Gospel reading reminded me of a very useful thing I’ve learned from our deaconess field work students. It’s a simple definition of two important concepts in Scripture. It’s this: Grace is getting what we don’t deserve from God; mercy is not getting what we do deserve. It’s easy to remember, helpful in opening a door to further conversations, and it’s a teaching from our Lord in today’s reading.

            It begins with our Old Testament reading from Hosea. Israel has been trying to worship both the Lord and the various gods of the nations around them, sometimes confusing the two and thinking that the Lord is just another name for those other gods they worship on the hills and shrines. But through the prophet Hosea, God is calling them out. He’s going to show them that He is not any of the gods from the pagan nations: “I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.” He’s going to let them learn that those other gods cannot save them so that they turn back to the Lord who has delivered them more times than they can count. We then get to overhear Israel’s response, “Let us return to the Lord…Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord…” But we also hear God’s answer to that—He’s been down this road with them before: “What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.” It’s not going to be enough to just show up again at the temple and make the right sacrifices, only to have that love for Him burn away again as soon as the false gods call. He wants more than that. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice; the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Just doing the right thing because that’s what they have to do in order to get back onto God’s good list isn’t enough. There has to be steadfast love, not flash in the pan affection that’s gone as soon as the last sacrificial flames have burned out.

            Enter the Pharisees in our Gospel reading today, centuries after these words were recorded by Hosea, but still making the same mistakes as their ancestors. They were fastidious in keeping the Law, even setting up and observing traditions to keep from getting close to breaking the Law. They donated richly to the synagogues and temple, tithing not only their gross income, but also the things they bought with their money afterward. They kept themselves from any of the unclean things that came with the false gods of the nations around them. In that effort to keep themselves pure, they even were careful to keep company with only the right people; that is, people like themselves. That certainly didn’t include the likes of Matthew the tax collector, traitor to Israel that he was, working for and associating with unholy Romans, taking the wages of hard-working sons of Abraham and sending it to Caesar, all while skimming off the top to make his own ends meet. And one could expect that such a sinner like that would have similarly wicked people in his social circles.

            So when Jesus calls Matthew to follow Him and then attends a banquet at Matthew’s house, eating and drinking with other tax collectors and known sinners, the Pharisees asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus’ response is intentionally provocative. It’s exactly what a one of their rabbis would say to a student who needed to study a topic deeper, right down to the formula they would have used talking to them: “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Jesus is giving these teachers of the Torah a homework assignment—in the Torah—to read a little closer what the Lord means when He speaks through the prophet Hosea: “I desire mercy, steadfast love, and not sacrifice; knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”

            Jesus came to call sinners, not those who believe themselves pure and righteous enough. And thank God for that. For you too have been as the ancient Israelites, going through the motions, doing what might look acceptable on the outside, but your heart isn’t in it. Your knowledge of God isn’t increasing. You do things out of habit alone, or because you have to; not out of love, joy, or recognition of the Lord’s graciousness and generosity. And you have been one of the Pharisees, suspicious of anyone from that crowd, the people you know are clearly sinners. All the while you’re somewhat resentful because you’ve been doing what’s right to keep yourself pure—at least enough of the time—to have earned a greater spot than them.

            But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For your Lord, whose name has been put on you in Baptism, who dwells with you in His body and blood, has shown mercy to you. He’s not given you what you actually deserve—and that’s a very good thing for you. In His mercy He has become the sacrifice that you were always striving to achieve on your own. In Jesus, sacrifice and steadfast love, sacrifice and mercy, are one; and they’re both extravagantly poured out for your benefit, to cleanse you from your sin. Your Lord has come to call you and to sit with you and St. Matthew and all his friends who hear Jesus’ call and follow Him into repentance and forgiveness.

            One final point: When the Lord has called Israel to come back to Him and Him alone, they respond, “Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” This is clearly a reference to the resurrection of Jesus on the third day that will take place hundreds of years after these words were written. But notice how it’s spoken of in the plural, about “us”—our forefathers in the faith and us now. You have been raised with Christ by virtue of repentance and forgiveness, spoken by you and over you at the beginning of this service. You have been raised with Jesus in the death and resurrection of Baptism so that you can live a life of lovingkindness, of mercy, of knowledge of the Lord. Your acts of sacrifice are now acts of mercy, acts of love and generosity; and they’re not done because you have to or because they’re needed to save you. The Lord desires no more sacrifice after Jesus’ cross. Rather, He desires now that you reflect your heavenly Father’s mercy and love as those who have been raised up so that you may live before Him in true righteousness and purity forever. In the name of Jesus, who shows us mercy. Amen.