For
I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and
acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6
But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not
sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew
9:13
If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy,
not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. Matthew 12:7
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s
mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to
God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1
Jesus
quoted this verse from Hosea 6:6 two times and Paul referenced it also in his letter
to the Romans.
God
is not impressed by our sacrifices at the altar or through the amount of our
offerings. God is impressed by our heart’s
condition, the sacrifices we make internally not externally. If one’s heart is right, then the sacrifices
would be given properly.
Jesus
came to call those who were right with God on the inside and who displayed that
by the way they treated people. People
who understand mercy present their bodies as a living sacrifice, worshiping
him through their sacrificial hearts.