The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mt 9:11-13)
“Mercy” has been a popular children’s game through the years.
In it, children lock hands and then try to bend each other’s hand until it is so painful that someone cries “Mercy!” The one who shouts for mercy, of course, is the loser and the one who inflicts the most pain in order to make an opponent scream out is the winner.
This is NOT the kind of mercy that Jesus speaks of.
God does not lock us into some kind of embrace and inflict as much pain as possible until we cry out for His mercy.
Got is not into inflicting pain upon His people.
God loves us.
He loves us too much to want to see us in pain let alone inflict it.
We are the ones who often inflict pain upon others.
We are the ones who, in many ways, like to see others uncomfortable or in pain.
That is the way some people judge themselves to be successful, that they can control others’ lives and even inflict pain if necessary to make someone know that they are the ones in charge.
We cannot continue to live that way.
God desires that we show mercy to one another — the same mercy that He so willingly shows us each moment of our lives.
FAITH ACTION: Ask the Lord for His mercy today. Be willing to show mercy to others this day as well.