Grow in mercy not sacrifice

S - Matt  12
5 Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? 6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 7 If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’[a] you would not have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

O-  Jesus came to make corrections and give example of the truth of who God is and who He desires us to be.   Over time it is us that begin to deviate from God's intended path, to follow our own.   In the case here Jesus is speaking to the religious leaders that are just looking for a reason to call Jesus and His disciples guilty of violating the sabbath,  when Jesus corrects them because their head and hearts are in the wrong place.  They chose strict obedience to rules, instead of obedience to the heart that delivered the rules.   The Lord gave the sabbath as a give to man, a time to pause, reflect, revel in God's love and creation,   even a time to correct back to the heart of God.   Instead these men on the sabbath spent there time condemning vice being in awe of the teachings of Jesus and the acts of great love and mercy of  Jesus and the disciples.  And finally in the verse 6 we see the heart of God revealed through Christ that he desires us to show mercy as he has, not to sacrifice and suffer as proof of our love for God.   The sabbath is not for punishment but a gift.

A - The application for me is to first and foremost take time to reflect on my own attitude toward the sabbath.  I have grown in my celebration and honoring of the sabbath, as a means to rest and reflect.  Of recent I haven't been as reflective of God's creation and great mercy and gifts in my life and I need to improve this area.   In terms of attitude overal I need to reflect on my own life and be sure I am realigning to the principle of mercy and not condemning myself or others for not sacrificing.  God is growing empathy and mercy  in me, and I need to apply it first and foremost at home.

P - Dear heavenly father, thank you for never letting go of me.  I pray for Holy Spirit in showing love and mercy to my wife and kids during this challenging move period.  Give me wisdom and peace to build them up not ask them for sacrifice, especially in who you have created them to be.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.