Before I go further I'll quote the text, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Verse 13 is rich with lessons. I was able to experience these lessons through specific circumstances. The Lord decided to take me on a field trip of sorts. I was somewhat flung into a world I did not particularly want to take part in. I knew from the first it was a test. I wanted to pass it so I knew I had better pay attention. I passed and failed at the same time, yet, the failure was meant to ram home a very important point; so maybe it wasn't a total failure because I did learn what I was supposed to.
To learn in this passage is is the word 'manthano' and means to desire to learn through experience. The word for mercy is 'eleos' and concerns special and immediate regard to the misery which is the consequence of sins. God's mercy is extended to alleviate those consequences.
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| Oil and Water By: Brainsik |
This worldly experience fit the teaching criteria perfectly. Let me explain. As a follower of Christ, I know I am consecrated, set apart (Hebrews 3) for holiness. I am to be in the world but not of the world (Romans 12:2) I found myself in a struggle. How do I act, what do I say when I have made every effort in my life to reject what these worldly people were doing. Why am I here when I do not have anything in common with them. There were even times of disgust and thinking, "why am I waisting my time here?" I was a little confounded at first, this oil and water thing was uncomfortable. Religion tells us to stay away and don't intermingle with this crowd, yet Jesus did the opposite and was called a glutton and wine bibber for it. Then I remembered, Jesus is a stumbling block (I Corinthians 1:23) He came into this world and caused people to make a decision. He cast His pearls before swine (*Matthew 7:6; Mark 2:17). And this was MERCY!
Jesus lived this day in and day out, whether he was in the synagogue or eating with a publican. He came to the worldly to alleviate the consequences of our sin. He was pure, holy; the answer in living flesh come down to live out and tell us the good news so we could be free to KNOW Him and redeem us from our due wages; death. (Romans 3)
My experience was not meant to focus on the worlds ways contrasted to holiness, but to focus on speaking the truth of who Jesus is and what He did for a hurting, lost people. My failure through this experience was not opening my mouth a bit wider, a bit louder and proclaiming the Gospel clearly at every opportunity. I was able to speak some truth as I grappled with the circumstance, show truth through actions but not on the scale that was needed. Sometimes when you're learning something you bumble with it before you really get the fullness of it. The failure was a cleansing. It helped me rid more religious thought and take on Christ likeness.
The time for this circumstance came to an end through the Holy Spirit's direction. Honestly, I was relieved but I was also melancholic. Not that I missed their worldly ways but that they were so far in them and didn't seem to understand their need to abandon them. I saw their misery in sin clearly and was saddened. Contrasting this with Levi's actions is powerful. He heard Jesus, obeyed and was changed.
I'll conclude with this last simple statement, Jesus never missed an opportunity. I pray these lessons have made their impact so I won't miss the next one as I traverse through the world and walk the narrow road.
I Peter 2: 7-12
*Thank you Ken Brown for the exegesis of Matthew 7:6...God was using you!
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