Verse 13 "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."
I have recently purchased The Message, which is a paraphrase of the bible. (It's hard for me to put my old bible on the shelf, we have been through so much together, but it's time.) The Messagae translates verse 13 as "I'm after mercy, not religion."
Mercy instead of religion?
Later on in the chapter some Pharisees witness Jesus healing and claim that his power must be coming from the devil.
That's what happens when we make religion our main focus. God could be standing right in front of us and we think it is the devil.
Religion has a way of blinding us to the truth, if that religion is focused on the wrong things.
For the Pharisees, they had power because of their position in their religion. They had honor, influence and privileges that normal people didn't have. They constructed a theology that protected their way of life. Their religion was about them.
Religion should be about us... but that's only half the equation. Religion should be about us God too. Religion comes from what God has done for us and what God is doing through us.
God has shown mercy for us on the cross and God wants to show mercy to the world through us.
Religion should not be more complicated than that.
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