Matthew 9:13: "I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice"

Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 13 June 2010; Corps 614 Regent Park and The Warehouse Mission, 16 Sept 2016; and Alberni Valley Ministries, 30 April 2023

 

This is the 2023 Alberni Valley Version (See below for links to versions from other places and other times)

 

Summer feels like it is here, I saw someone driving their fancy classic car the other day. Don, you belong to the car club. When do all the summer events begin? Seeing this made me reminisce about my first car, it isn’t quite as fancy as those classic cars but here is a picture of it…

 

Okay that’s not my car –but that isn’t entirely dissimilar from my car. My car only cost $100 and see how Fred’s car is propelled… It only moves because he runs with his feet sticking out the bottom. That was sort of like my Pontiac. Like Fred’s car, didn’t have any floorboards at all on the passenger’s side – so my passengers had to be careful not to drop anything on the floor because it would be gone. It was allegedly a two-door but the driver’s door never worked. This sometimes made it a little difficult especially considering one of my friends for part of this time was confined to a wheelchair so whenever I gave them a ride I would either have to climb over them to get into the car or more likely get in Dukes of Hazard style. (You remember the Duke’s of Hazard where they would climb in through the windows instead of using the door?) – Actually, before I was done with my car, we always had to get in Dukes of Hazard style because the other door broke too. Nonetheless I loved my first car. It was all mine. It did have one good thing about it. It had four really nice moon discs. They were shiny, they were good solid hubcaps and they were really cool.

 

‘I desire mercy’ is a quote from our text today. When I was a teenager I used to let friends drive my car. One friend – Bill– has his learner’s license. We load the car up with many of our friends and we go cruising around the town. At one point we decide to go through the drive through and get some water to drink (we couldn’t afford to buy anything else) so – Bill is driving – he takes us through the drive through and he cuts the corner too close and - ‘crunch’ – there goes my front moon disk and then instead of stopping, (because he is an inexperienced driver) he keeps going and ‘crunch’; there goes a second one. Bill is so upset as he is chased from my car by our friends. He starts walking home feeling quite sad. I take over driving. We order enough waters from the A&W for everyone and Bill too  – remember the quote from the scriptures, ‘I desire mercy’ – we pull up beside him. He comes up to the car and then we – well – we hit him with our waters. Okay maybe that is not a good example of mercy. We got it a little backwards.

 

Jesus said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice’. This is significant. Look at what is happening in our text today. Jesus is having one of his all too familiar conflicts with the religious teachers. Jesus is walking along after performing a sensational faith healing in front of a large audience, he sees a tax collector and Jesus invites himself over to this house for dinner and the tax collector (Matthew) accepts.

 

Now we should put things in perspective a little bit here. Jesus is famous. He is as popular as any athlete or music star. Just like contemporary celebrities, crowds are following Jesus everywhere. He even has to hop on a boat after the miracle of the fish and the loaves to get away from them. Jesus is a pretty popular celebrity and all the people are following him and Jesus sees this tax collector and he invites himself over for dinner.

 

Anybody have a favourite celebrity here? Call out a name or two… what if _____ invited himself over to your place for dinner, would you accept? Of course. This is what Matthew does.

 

Now Matthew is a tax collector. Strictly speaking he is more like a customs officer, but it was the same idea: he collects taxes for Rome. Tax collectors are not the most popular people in the world these days.

 

It was even worse in Jesus' day. Do you remember who controlled Palestine in Jesus’ day? The Romans. Palestine was an occupied territory. I am the Legion Chaplain here.. As a Judean, for Matthew, sitting in his toll booth collecting taxes from his own people to pay Caesar may even seem be like collaborating with the enemy.

 

So here is Jesus, a celebrity preacher, who some people even know is the Messiah but misguidedly think he will destroy Rome and free the occupied territories and Jesus goes and invites himself over to one of the collaborators' places for dinner.

 

So Jesus’ adversaries think they see a weakness. They think that they can create a scandal that will discredit him. If there were newspapers, internet and the like back then the headline on the 6-O’Clock News would read like verse 11: “Jesus eats with sinners and tax collectors.”

 

Jesus doesn’t deny what he is doing. He is associating with unliked people. The Pharisees have caught Jesus red-handed with these ‘sinners’ they call them, and so, Verse 11: “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?’” Jesus overhears them and instead of denying his actions, Verses 12 and 13, “On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”

 

So this is interesting. Jesus is quoting Hosea 6. The Pharisees would have been very familiar with Hosea 6. Do you remember who are the Pharisees? The best of the Pharisees are like the good Bible-believing Christians of today, even encouraging us to holiness; Nicodemus and the Apostle Paul were Pharisees (Acts 23:6, 26:5). The worst of the Pharisees, I imagine, if they were around today would be intimidating people on social media who aren’t following societal rules of their day. These Pharisees, who themselves, are very careful not to break any religious laws accuse Jesus every time they catch him doing something that they do not think appropriate.

 

When accused here Jesus says to the Pharisees, Matthew 9:13: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’

 

The Pharisees were really good at sacrifice. They did rightly believe in holiness. Amongst their number were probably some of the best of the religious people of their day (cf. Acts 22:1-5; Galatians 1:13,14). Maybe even better than us at following the scriptures. They tithed regularly. They read their scriptures. They come to the synagogue (church) regularly. They did not work on the Sabbath or do anything that would cause someone else to work (Dt 5; Ex20). They are very careful worshiping God by providing the appropriate sacrifices. If they were around today, they most likely would always have a wholesome radio station tuned into their car and/or their computer; they would always be dressed appropriately and they would be very careful to tithe and be self-sacrificing. This is good.

 

Where they go wrong is in pointing out that Jesus by eating with ‘sinners’ is like the sinners and not like them. Jesus agrees that he is not like them and he tells them why: He says the difference is that the Pharisees are not extending mercy. God loves people. The word ‘mercy’ here, ḥesed, means steadfast love or literally ‘covenant love.’ They are accusing Jesus of not being faithful to the covenant with God because he eats with ‘sinners’ but Jesus says that he is faithful to God’s covenant precisely because he does eat with ‘sinners’. Jesus says, quoting Hosea 6:6: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but ‘sinners.’

 

The Pharisees sacrificed lots to do many good things right but Jesus says that is not what is most important. God desires mercy and not sacrifice.

 

I remember once when I was visiting a good church many, many years ago; a street person came in and lay down on the pews for a nap. A good, self-sacrificing pastor at this church asked him to leave. Jesus says, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

 

I have also seen congregations where nice, good, self-sacrificing church people have sat pouting, arms crossed all through the service because some stranger had dared to come an unwittingly sit in their seat. Jesus says, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

 

I have heard divorced people, single mothers and others tell me that they felt shunned in their churches by the good self-sacrificing Christians after their life circumstances change.  Jesus says, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

 

I have in my time heard good self-sacrificing Salvationists help the poor but complain whenever someone shows up for help who doesn`t look poor enough or needy enough or who does not seem marginalized. Jesus says, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

 

I have in my time seen good self-sacrificing Salvationists actually punish people for behaving in ways that are totally consistent with their diagnosis. Jesus says, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'

 

Well, what about us here today? How do we greet the people God brings across our path? Do we extend to them the hesed covenant love of Christ who spends time with them (and us) no matter who they (and we) are.

 

Today, like always, I invite us to examine ourselves. Are we like it says in Matthew 23:24, ‘straining a gnat and swallowing a camel’? Are we ‘majoring in the minors’? Or do we openly embrace our brothers and sisters? Do we eagerly look for opportunities to show our love for God by loving our neighbours –poor or rich, nice or mean, scary or not scary? In short, if Christ showed up today in disguise would we welcome him warmly? If there are any ways that we here today have not been open to serving God by showing this hesed, mercy, covenant love to our neighbours, I would ask the Lord to reveal that to us, so that we can turn that and our whole lives over to Jesus Christ and I pray that people will indeed know we are Christians by our love.

 

May we all today go from here with a renewed impetus to show hesed, mercy, covenant love to our neighbour and may they will know we are Christians by our love.

 

 

To view the 2016 version,  click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2016/09/hosea-66-matthew-913-i-desire-mercy-not.html

 

To view the 2010 original version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/06/matthew-913-i-desire-mercy-not-sacrifice.html

 

 

 

 

  

Lessons from New York: James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 2:11-18, Matthew 28:18-20 & more

 Presented to The Salvation Army Warehouse 614, 18 March 2018 and Alberni Valley Ministries, 23 April 2023, by Captain (Major) Michael Ramsay

This is the 2023 TSA AV Version:

Susan is on her way to Winnipeg in a couple of weeks. Immediately following that Susan and I are flying to France for a couple of weeks. As we were planning for all of this, I was thinking about some of the other trips we have taken. Our last one was, of course, of Covid trip. Before that we took a number of trips through the US. Back in 2018, in the span of one year we visited or drove through Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and California; Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee, Buffalo, Brooklyn, and New York, New York. The following are three lessons I remember from our trip to New York.

 

LESSON 1

 

Matthew 5:43-45: 43: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

Romans 5:3-5: And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

 

James 1:2-4: Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Romans 12:12: Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

My family and I really were blessed to visit New York with all three of our children.  I think this was almost the last trip that the five of us all took together as a family. We were still living in Toronto at the time – later that same year we would move out west here. It was a little bit of a drive from Toronto to Ney York but we don't mind, we used to live in Saskatchewan, we are used to long drives.

 

It is great we got to see the Brooklyn Bridge, the Barclay Centre (where the Islanders play – they were a favourite team of mine in the early 1980s), 5th Avenue, Broadway, Times Square, and Central Park, among other places.

 

We walked around outside quite a bit and enjoyed ourselves - and then it got cold. Have you noticed how things can change in an instant? A day can be perfectly enjoyable and then it becomes too cold (or too hot) and all of a sudden everyone's mood changes. The scenery hasn't changed. The neat things to see and do haven't changed. The monuments and parks haven't changed. Your enjoyment however can change quite a bit if it all of a sudden becomes windy and cold!

 

This is like life in general. Life happens to every one of us. We all have many exciting and enjoyable things to experience just as we have many trials and toils to endure. The difference is how we experience these situations. If we focus on ourselves, it is like we are inviting a cold wind into our day to make us miserable in the midst of all the wonderful sights around us. If we, however, focus on Christ, we will also notice others and have our hearts warmed and our lives enriched by His love as we take in all that He is doing around, in, and through us. Today let us take Jesus up on His offer of pleasant warmth and comfort in the midst of everything we are seeing and experiencing in this life. Lesson one: Romans 12:12, Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

LESSON 2

 

1 Peter 2:11-18:

 

It was a lot of fun seeing the sights in New York. We had never been there before and our family really enjoys learning about the history of places as we visit them. We read every plaque we see and visit as many museums as we can.

 

We went to Buffalo, New York before we went to New York City. In Buffalo we saw plaques and monuments to US President Fillmore. He was from Buffalo; he was the last Whig President. We saw a monument to President McKinley who was assassinated in Buffalo. We saw a statue of President Lincoln. I put a Salvation Army 614 toque on him for a picture; we did this unknowingly on or near an anniversary of one of his massacres of indigenous peoples. (Lincoln, sadly, was brutal: he was responsible for many horrendous acts and a lot of death and destruction including the largest mass execution in US history). We saw a monument to Canadian and American friendship noting that our two flags should fly side-by-side for eternity but, alas, they had Ireland's flag flying instead of Canada's. (This was ironically on the same day that our Canadian government mixed up the Belgian and German flags).

 

In New York we saw monuments to President Roosevelt and others and we visited the New York Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Many great things have been accomplished by Americans. Some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments, however, were things that offended my Canadian sensibilities. But here is the thing: I am just a tourist. I can't vote in US elections. I can't change their laws or their culture. I don't have the rights of a US citizen and I shouldn't because I am not one. Even though many Canadians seem to forget it in this day and age as in both our social and mainstream media, we weigh in on their domestic policy as if it were our domestic policy. It is not. They are a foreign country. I am a tourist. When I am there, I am a gracious guest and I do not forget that I am no more than that.

 

It is the same in our life here on earth for those of us who are Christians. We need to stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't get drawn into adiaphoron, matters of spiritual indifference - things that have no relevance to his eternal kingdom. I have seen Christians detract from the policies of Christ by promoting INSTEAD the policies of Conservatives, Liberals, Republicans, or Democrats as if Christ supports any of these parties over the others:  he doesn't! (They should support him!) We should support him! We need to serve Christ remembering that if indeed we are Christians our allegiance belongs to him for - just like us last week in New York - we Christians are just visiting until we return to heaven or until Christ returns to earth as Lord of it all. Let us not forget where our Citizenship belongs.

 

Question for reflection rather than response necessarily: how can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world?

 

LESSON 3

 

Matthew 28:18-20: Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

This trip that we are chatting about was our family’s first ever visit to New York City. It is not that long of a drive from where we lived at the time, in Toronto. In the months leading up to this trip we had also driven to Ottawa, Montreal, Kingston, Niagara, Buffalo (and even flown to the Island here, to Victoria).

 

When we are in those places, the world comes to life. In Montreal, Quebec, and Kingston, our history and identity as a people (as Canadians) is revealed and we can understand it in ways I never could if I never stood on the walls of the Quebec Citadel or looked out over the plains of Abraham.

 

In New York, we experienced a lot of American culture. It is really quite something to see one of the cultural centres of the US: so many of their TV shows, movies, and figures of their culture are set right there. We were able to walk through Central Park, see the Statue of Liberty, stand in Times Square and see so many other things that we recognize from their songs, books, and music. Like a great children’s book pointed out to me once: their thanksgiving history (and other history) is much different than ours. And so it is all the more amazing to see things like Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, 5th Avenue, and ride the ferry to Staten Island.

 

All of these sights mean a lot more when you actually experience them for yourself rather than just seeing them in movies and on TV. I have a much greater understanding and appreciation for New York than ever before now that I have walked its streets and experienced it with my family.

 

This is the same with Jesus. Jesus is as real as any of the places we have visited. The more time we spend walking around with Jesus and getting to know him with our friends and family, the greater we will love him. He wants us, he does want you to come see him and spend time with him. As you do, even more than visiting a new city, I promise your life will be much better for it. As such, my final encouragement for you today is this. If you have never experienced the joys of Christ before, I invite you to accept his offer as tour guide, host, and Saviour today. And if for some reason, you ha e strayed from the tour for while, I invite you to return, I promise you will never regret it.

 

And that concludes the lessons God affirmed in me from our trip to New York. It will be interesting to see what He has to teach us in Paris, France in a couple of weeks.

Matthew 21:1-11: Bethphage to Jerusalem.

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay on Palm Sunday, 02 April 2023.

 

Matthew 21:1-3: As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

 

Jesus is making this journey for Passover. Passover is the greatest annual festival in Jerusalem. People come to the city from all over to experience it. It would be like Mardi Gras, Carnival, May Day, Superbowl, the World Cup, or even the Olympics maybe – people are coming from all over to be a part of it – just to be there! There would be many, many people making this journey. Jesus and His followers are among them.

 

They come to Bethphage and the Mount of Olives which is Three kilometres from Jerusalem, about a 40 minute walk. It is the same distance from Bethphage to Jerusalem as we are here from Boomerangs Café. Picture Jesus and his disciples in a crowd lining the streets near Boomerang’s on their way here. They have been walking for a little while and they are almost where they are going and this is when Jesus tells those with him to fetch this donkey and it’s colt and they do.

 

So again: they, Jesus and his companions, are almost at their destination. He obviously isn’t sending them to get these animals because He is tired and can’t walk any more. They are almost there. They are all excited. There are crowds everywhere. Everyone is excited – again think of a big parade and everyone here lining the streets and even walking down the main roads from Boomerangs towards the Army here or City Hall (which is across the street). So then why does Jesus have his companions pick up these animals? Verse 4ff:

 

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”

 

This quote is from the prophet Zechariah, from Zechariah 9:9 in the Bible. Jesus riding on this donkey is announcing before all of this crowd that he is king. Now Jesus isn’t just someone no one has ever heard about. More people would know Jesus walking from Bethpage to Jerusalem than would probably recognize our own Mayor walking the same distance from Boomerang’s to City Hall. Jesus is a celebrity preacher with a big following and a lot of them are walking with him now down to Jerusalem. They are walking with Jesus down to the Capital city; cheering, celebrating, being excited, and then he gets on a donkey, proclaiming to be king. Can you imagine if someone did that in Ottawa today? Or Washington? Can you imagine working security along that route? Verse 6-9a:

 

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted…(!)

 

So again – Jesus is almost at his destination, as are all the people with him. The roads are full. It is like he is marching with the crowds up Stamp Avenue towards City Hall. He gets on a donkey, a symbol that he is the rightful mayor, Prime Minister, President, King! People see this. Many know who Jesus is! Many think and/or hope that he will be the next leader of their country! Many think and/or hope that he will defeat the ruling parties! Many think and/or hope that he will kick the Superpower out of their country! To borrow from Charles Gaulle, ‘Vive le Port Alberni libre!’ Remember, ‘Vive le Québec libre!’ and the stir that caused? Can you imagine, ‘Vive le Canada libre’? If Canada tried to break away from the US: that could be as messy as Ukraine breaking away from Russia! ‘Vive le Jerusalem libre!’ is in essence what is happening here. Verse 9:

 

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted….

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 

People see Jesus on the donkey. Some of them are so excited! Their leader is coming! He is here! And they get to see it! They are running ahead! They are telling everyone!

 

I watched some of the parades in Buenos Aries a few months ago. Argentina had just won the World Cup! Buenos Aries, the capital of Argentina is a city of more than 15 million people – more than double the population of British Columbia! It seemed like everyone of them – and more, people from all over Argentina and the world - poured into the streets to be part of the parade as Lionel Messi and his teammates rode the bus down the street. Can you imagine how long it would take that bus to make it the distance from the mill to City Hall here? Can you imagine the excitement of all the people running ahead and telling everyone they’re coming! The bus is almost here! The players are almost here! Messi is almost here! The World Cup is almost here! You can see it! You can be a part of it! Can you imagine, you see this event that you have hoped for your whole life and your family has hoped for almost their whole life and almost everyone you know has hoped for their whole life and it is coming true right before your eyes! You are running ahead and telling everyone. The bus passes you and you join the throng of people following it! Again, Verse 9:

 

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted….

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 

Can you hear the noise? People are chanting, singing loudly, shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

 

What does this mean? What are people yelling? What does Hosanna mean? Hosanna means ‘salvation’; it means ‘save us!’ What does it mean that they are calling Jesus the ‘Son of David’? It means that they think He is the rightful king of their country! Judeans believed that the King of their country must always be a descendant of King David! Again, imagine what it must be like working security in these crowds – Jesus marching up to City Hall here and people shouting “Hosanna to the rightful Mayor!” or crowds descend on Parliament Hill shouting, ‘Save us! So and so is the rightful Prime Minister’ or Capitol Hill shouting, ‘Save us! So and so is the rightful President!’ This is what it is like for the people in power as Jesus and the crowd are running, walking, crowding up the street to Jerusalem. Verses 10-11:

 

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

 

This is the important part for us today. We know the story. We know what happened to Jesus. We know what happened on Palm Sunday. Every year we wave our fern fronds (west coast palm branches); every year we talk about the parade into Jerusalem and what it meant to the people in the first century and what it should mean to us. We also know as, Paul Harvey would say, ‘the rest of the story’ of Holy Week. After Palm Sunday when everyone runs to Jesus’ waving their branches and shouting ‘save us’, comes ‘Good Friday’ where everyone runs away from Jesus and hides; even his disciple disavows knowing who he is. Good Friday is, of course, followed by the Holiest Day in the calendar, the day we observe Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Then in a little while we will celebrate Ascension Day, the day Jesus ascended to Heaven, promising to come back because He has indeed ‘Hosanna’ saved us.

 

The question for us, since we do know who Jesus is, as we await Jesus’ return, will we do it in the spirit of fear and hiding that comes with the unknowing of Good Friday or will we do it in the spirit of joyful anticipation that comes with Palm Sunday: running out into the streets, proclaiming to the world where our hope and where our Salvation comes from! It my is hope that we will all choose to live our lives proclaiming this hope! For Jesus has risen from the grave and He is coming back! 

 

Let us raise our fern fronds and celebrate that today!                        

  

Let us pray.

 

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