Welcome to Hank’s Place –
Previously I’d stated Jesus quoted from Hosea 6:6 twice, each time in conversation with Pharisees: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
In Matthew 9 at Matthew’s party, the interchange appears to be without malice. But it’s a different story in chapter 12. There, Jesus’ disciples were hungry and they began eating heads of grain in a field on the Sabbath, something totally legal. Deut 23:25.
Then some Pharisees apparently popped out behind some bushes and said to Jesus, “See, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” On top of the Torah the Pharisees heaped the ‘oral law.’ After Moses came down the mountain with the 10 Commandments, the Pharisees claimed he had entrusted the oral law (too sacred to be written down) to the elders – of which they claim to be the direct descendants.
Jesus refutes them in verses 3-8. The last verses read: “If you had known what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” (Hosea 6:6) you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Pharisees could see only a violation of their oral law! If did not understand the heart of God, the God of Lovingkindness. They had hard hearts.
The religious system of the day was broken and fragmented. The Romans appointed the high priests. They kept the garments of the priests in their possession in the Antonia fortress. The holy of holy’s was an empty room in Herod’s magnificent temple. No one agreed on the canon, resurrection, angels, heaven, or hell.
BUT – everyone COULD agree upon – the Sabbath, and its observation. It was the dearest point in their orthodoxy. So when Jesus said, “The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath,” He was saying, take your dearest point of orthodoxy – I am lord over that! No wonder they were angry!
Yet Jesus, in quoting Hosea 6:6, provided the solution by which the hardheartedness of the Pharisees – and us – might be healed if only they would listen.
Jesus was turning the world of the Pharisees upsidedown. Because of the love and kindness of God – incarnate in Jesus, sinners were blessed, while those who hated loving kindness placed themselves outside of God’s loving kindness.
Today, wear mercy, lovingkindness, as YOUR garment and – COME ALIVE!
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