Pull Up a Chair
At Jesus’s table of mercy
This is Week 2 of a series inviting you to zoom out to see the bigger picture of Scripture.
I routinely hang out with ex-cons, former drug dealers, salty sailors and bikers.
Not at a local watering hole.
At my church.
I’m proud that our congregation includes a diverse mix of (mostly) reformed miscreants — myself included — whose lives have been radically changed by God’s grace.
This mirrors Jesus’s table.
Jesus frequently dined with sinners and outcasts in the Gospels — not to condone their sin but to heal them from it.
When a group of Pharisees challenged Jesus’s choice of dinner guests in Matthew 9, He didn’t just push back. He served up a pointed rebuke rooted in Old Testament theology.
Jesus directs these religious leaders to an ancient Hebrew understanding of God’s steadfast love through the prophet Hosea.
If you zoom out on what Jesus is really saying, it will take you on a fascinating journey through the entirety of Scripture—one that ultimately points back to His sacrifice on the cross.
Matthew 9:13 & 12:2
After calling the tax collector Matthew to follow Him, Jesus sits down to eat with Matthew’s friends. Tax collectors were seen as traitors—Jews who sided with Roman oppressors for personal gain.
This is when the Pharisees scoffed.
And Jesus fired back.
“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Matthew 9:13
One commentator said Jesus framed this as a pointed rabbinic rebuke that “would have been a frontal assault directly from the Word of God to these prideful men who thought they knew everything already.”
Jesus repeats this exact phrase again in Matthew 12:7 after the Pharisees accused him of violating the Sabbath.
Both times, Jesus quotes Hosea 6:6:
“For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Jesus is making it clear that we must learn to see sinners the way He does—with eyes of mercy.
This does not mean to join in sinning, but rather influence those we encounter through our witness.
Jesus compares His presence at the sinner’s table to a physician caring for the sick:
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” — Matthew 9:12
His emphasis on mercy over religious ritual reframes how we should see the church—not as a guarded sanctuary with barriers to entry, but as a spiritual emergency room.
We all need to the Great Physician’s care.
This posture of mercy matters deeply to Jesus.
He doesn’t say, “Consider this.”
He says, “Go and learn.”
It’s the same language in the Great Commission — “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19).
This is a direction to move and take action. We must start with what he directed us to learn — the words of Hosea.
Why did Jesus quote Hosea?
Hosea’s life centers on the painful restoration of his marriage to his unfaithful wife, Gomer—a living picture of God’s relentless, redemptive love for rebellious Israel. The book is often compared to John’s writings in the New Testament for its themes of God’s redemptive love.
The verse quoted by Jesus highlights a crucial Hebrew word describing God’s distinctive attributes and character — HESED.
It’s translated variously as mercy, lovingkindness, or steadfast love—but no single English word fully captures it.
The best way to understand hesed is to trace it through its 247 uses in the Old Testament and see how it points to the ultimate act of hesed — Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross.
Exodus 34:6–7 – This is a frequently quoted passage throughout the Bible. In this verse, God explains who He is — clearly showing his merciful yet just character framed around hesed.
Joshua 2:12 – God’s hesed has always extended to ALL people. Here, the prostitute Rahab pledges hesed — and asks for it in return — for helping Joshua and the spies take over Jericho.
Ruth 2:20 – Hesed is rendered as “kindness” here. Hesed saturates the story of Ruth, even though it is used only three times. Ruth’s sacrificial love is displayed as she leaves her pagan home in Moab to follow her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem. There, Ruth meets Boaz, a man of strength and hesed himself. They marry. Their great-grandson is King David. They become part of the lineage leading to Jesus (Matthew 1:1). Oh, and Rahab is Boaz’s mother. It’s one of the most fascinating threads of hesed through Scripture.
1 Samuel 20:8 – David and Jonathan’s covenant is a moment of hesed.
Psalm 17:7 – David frequently used hesed in his prayers and psalms.
Psalm 136 – This anonymous Psalm is one of the most fantastic examples of hesed in the Bible. It is known as “The Great Hallel,” a powerful hymn of praise popular during joyous feasts. Hallel is the root word of “hallelujah.” The Psalm’s praises orbit around hesed, repeating it 26 times through a beautiful liturgical refrain. Over and over, God’s people sang … For His (hesed) endures forever.
This is the hesed that Jesus ensured was at every table He sat at.
And he always has an extra seat.
Mountain Mover
Here’s a simple framework for living a life of mercy—one that emerged from our church’s children’s ministry. — EAT UP.
Engage
Jesus emphasized relationship building rather than ritual practice.
What relational bridges can you build?
For kids, that might mean sitting with someone new at lunch or including someone on the playground.
For adults, it may be a coworker you pass every day but never speak to. It could be lowering the political volume to talk to someone you disagree with about a more personal heart issue. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)
Act Like Jesus
Buy someone lunch.
Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Visit an elderly shut-in.
Adjust your vision to see mercifully.
Table
Be intentional at every table you sit at.
Jesus did more ministry around meals than from pulpits.
Start at home. Engage your family. Pray—not a rote recital but a thoughtful prayer of gratitude, thanking God for the mercy he gives and desires. Our family likes to share “highs and lows” — identifying the best and worst part of the day.
This is just one way to make your table a place of worship.
Then invite others in.
Ensure the Bread of Life is always the centerpiece of every table you sit at.
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