GOD DESIRES MERCY MORE THAN SACRIFICE
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hos.6:6). The above passage was quoted by Jesus on at least two occasions. From those occasions we learn that in special circumstances mercy takes precedence over rules. The first occasion of Jesus quoting the Hosea passage is in Matthew chapter nine – “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mt.9:13). Jesus was criticized by the Pharisees for eating with sinners. When Jesus heard them He told the Pharisees that they needed to learn the meaning of the Hosea passage. God’s prohibition for the Jews to be separate from sinners did not mean that they were never to associate with them. Rather, if an occasion arose in which they might help them, then they were to associate with them, as Jesus did. Dear reader, the implication of Jesus’ use of the Hosea passage is to teach people that certain rules were never intended to take precedence over mercy. The other occasion on which Jesus quotes the Hosea passage is in Matthew chapter twelve – “‘But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless’” (Mt.12:7). On this occasion Jesus’ disciples had plucked some grain as they walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath. When the Pharisees saw what the disciples did they were quick to condemn. But Jesus pointed out their inconsistencies in condemning His disciples and not condemning their illustrious ancestor David, who ate the showbread which was only for the priests. He also pointed out that technically the priests weekly profane the Sabbath by working in killing animals and kindling the fire on which they are offered, yet they do not condemn them. Of course both David and the priests were not condemned by God because He exempted them from a religious rule so they could meet genuine needs. The disciples had a genuine need to feed their bodies, and God’s Sabbath law was not designed to keep them from fulfilling that need. Remember, we are talking about a genuine need and not some lust for food. It was on this occasion that Jesus declared: “...The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath” (Mr.2:27).