I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’ Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.’ Matthew 9:9-17

We encounter Jesus today, sitting at a meal table with folks who were considered sinners by the religious leaders. They thought themselves to good and righteous to be eating with filth. There was a time, not too long ago in this country, where we Native people were considered dirty and sinful. Better dead than read was one of countless phrases uttered and printed. We cannot condemn the religious authorities of Jeus' time, because we too judge and exclude people even now. Jesus reminds us today that we are called to make room at the table for all. Room for the different and the weird (to us), the ones who speak differently and live differently than we do. We are not being faithful followers unless we are willing to scoot down, make room and work to love those who scare and confuse us. May we have the courage to set a large table and have plenty of seats for Jesus.

Loving Creator, you made your children diverse

in language, customs, shading and traditions

and you love us all, one family, one people.

We cannot help but judge and fears as humans

yet you call us to be more than petty and foolish

you call us to set and table in our hearts, wide and deep.

Make us humble enough to stop judging others

make us faithful enough to offer welcome and food

and have mercy and love for everyone we meet. Amen.