Merciful Savior

As the Pharisees accuse Jesus' disciples of breaking the Sabbath, Jesus declares that they have missed God's greater concern for mercy than for ceremonial religion. In this text we observe the substitute for mercy, the recipients of mercy, the enemies of mercy and the Lord of mercy. We learn that religious ceremony does not make a person right with God but is intended to direct people to Jesus. Those who have received his mercy should also live mercifully.