10 Mar 2015
Matthew 12:7
Matthew 12:7: “But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”
The issue of the Sabbath is why the Pharisees decided to kill Jesus: they hated what He was doing. What the Pharisees could not understand was the importance of mercy and love. They were devoid of compassion. All they cared about were the rules themselves, and not the intent of the rules or even what the rules meant. If a person was suffering, he could wait another day to be healed. They didn’t care if he had been suffering his entire life, or that no commandment was broken by showing mercy and compassion on the Sabbath. That wasn’t important to them – and that is what Jesus was pointing out.
That is what happens when you believe that you are saved by works. The works become extremely important, and you stop caring about who you hurt.