"Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.'" - Jesus
Jesus said this when He responded to the Pharisees' accusation of Him eating with sinners. It was a reference back to Hosea 6:6, which reads, "“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”; the Israelites "obeyed the Law,” but did not truly love God. In the same way, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for simply performing acts of righteousness, but lacking true love for Him.
How often do our words and actions sound sweet and righteous, but our hearts are far off from what we say and do? We may go to church every Sunday, attend fellowship, read the Bible daily, pray periodically, but do we truly long for Jesus? We may often talk about how much the world needs Jesus, but when we encounter unbelievers, how often do we care about their salvation? What can bridge this gap between what we say and do with our distant hearts?
(Thoughts on our mind.)
Michael & Elaine
