Mercy, Not Sacrifice
Matthew’s Gospel chapter 12 verses 1 to 21
Welcome and Prayer
Bible Reading – Matthew 12:1-21
If you had known what these words mean, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.’ 9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shrivelled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ … 11 He said to them, ‘If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ 13 Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Matthew 12:7-14 – New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice
God desires our welfare, not our discomfort.
Jesus, the servant King, declares it is always lawful to do good, healing a man on the “holy” day to prove it. But the legalistic Pharisees plot instead to kill Him.
Communion (The Lord’s Supper)
