Matthew 9:13

Context

Matthew 9:9–13 recounts the calling of Matthew the tax collector. When Jesus eats in Matthew's house with many tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees ask his disciples, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" Jesus first answers, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick" (Matthew 9:12), and then concludes with this verse: "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" (Matthew 9:13, KJV).

The phrase "go ye and learn" is an indirect way of telling the Pharisees, who prided themselves on their knowledge of the Law, to study the Scriptures again. Some interpreters note that it resembles an expression the rabbis of the time used when instructing their disciples. The words quoted come from Hosea 6:6. In Matthew they appear once more, in the Sabbath controversy of Matthew 12:7. Here "mercy" denotes compassion that pities others and helps them, while "sacrifice" refers to the offerings presented at the temple under the Old Testament.

Interpretation

• A reading in terms of priority: Many commentators do not take "not sacrifice" as a call to abolish sacrifice altogether, since the Hebrew idiom "not A but B" often means "B more than A." On this reading, the verse teaches that mercy toward people takes precedence over ritual and purity regulations.
• A reading that emphasizes grace: This reading stresses Jesus' declaration that he came to call not the worthy but the unworthy. The verse is cited as evidence that salvation begins not with human merit but with God's grace.
• A reading concerning "the righteous": A widely held interpretation sees "the righteous" here as a pointed reference to those who consider themselves righteous, that is, to the attitude of the Pharisees. Others broaden the meaning: since, as Romans 3:10–12 states, no one is truly righteous, all people are the objects of the call.
• An ethical reading: This reading connects the verse with the prophetic tradition, as in Micah 6:6–8 and Amos 5:21–23, which demands justice and mercy rather than mere forms of worship. On this basis the verse is used to support the church's ministry of relief to the needy and its social responsibility.

Controversies and Issues

• Textual variants: Some later manuscripts add "to repentance" (Greek eis metanoian) at the end of the verse, and the King James Version, among others, follows this text. Scholars often regard the addition as having been carried over from the wording of Luke 5:32. The phrase is absent from the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version.
• The Korean rendering of "sacrifice": In Korean Bible translations, the word used for "sacrifice" (jesa) is also the ordinary term for ancestral rites, and Korean readers sometimes misunderstand the verse in that sense. Some point out that because "sacrifice" in this verse means temple offerings, the verse can hardly serve as direct support in discussions of ancestral rites and memorial services.
• Quotation out of context: Critics argue that using this verse to justify taking worship or church order lightly does not fit its context. Criticism has also been directed at reading "to call sinners" solely as meaning acceptance without repentance. Such critics hold that the verse should be read together with the calls to repentance in Luke 5:32 and Matthew 4:17.

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In Korean churches across denominational lines, this verse is frequently cited in sermons on evangelism, the welcoming of new believers, and service to marginalized neighbors. It is also invoked when churches examine themselves for a tendency to focus on formality and outward appearances.

Related Passages

• Hosea 6:6
• Matthew 12:7
• Mark 2:17
• Luke 5:32
• Micah 6:6–8