The Work of Ministry is No Longer Acceptable

This is something I’d heard a while ago. And at first I was somewhat put off by the statement.

What do you mean, “The Work of the Ministry is No Longer Acceptable?”, I would think to myself. Doesn’t God want for us to have ministries and do ministry work? This statement caused some confusion, but did give me something to think about.

After having thought about it for some time, it became something I found myself agreeing with. Really? Yeah, and here’s why:

Like most things in life, it’s a heart issue. The observation was that people had become more concerned with “doing” and lost the heart behind their doing.

There are Christian’s today (and I’m just as guilty as this all-encompassing description details) who get caught up in the “actions” of what they are doing, the draw to do the “right thing”, which may be right, but are missing the point. What is the point:

For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
— Hosea 6:6

Why should this verse have some good weight to it for you and me? Here’s why: Israel was held to very stringent rules in the Old Testament, what they could eat, who they could live near, who they could marry, etc. One of those rules included offerings and sacrifices – usually very messy, bloody, smelly events. Yet God, in the Old Testament, required such.

Yet, God is saying “I desired mercy and not sacrifice” and “the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” – doesn’t that seem odd? Why would God request something like sacrifice, but really want mercy? Why not just get mercy and the knowledge of God in the first place?

Good question – let’s look at Matthew. Twice in this book, Jesus references Hosea 6:6:

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

…and…

But if ye had known what [this] meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
— Matthew 12:7

Very interesting, isn’t it? And what was directly before his response? In Matthew 9, the Pharisees had said, “Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?” to which Jesus responded, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” and quoted Hosea 6:6.

And the second record of Matthew 12:7, Jesus’ disciples were plucking ears of corn as they walked along, to which the Pharisees remarked, “Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.” Jesus responded with a few examples from the Old Testament and ended with his quote of Hosea 6:6.

The Pharisees had been “right” in their accusations – from a religious perspective, they were very good at pointing out and accusing the disciples of error. But Jesus Christ responded twice with Hosea 6:6:

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
— Hosea 6:6

Were the Pharisees wrong in their accusations? To the flesh, the five senses, they appeared to be right. But God looks on the heart. Jesus Christ gave examples of God’s real purpose – not being “religious” or even wanting sacrifices. No, God wanted us since the beginning. He’s always wanted us and still wants us.

Man’s effort to “do” what is right often results in a parting heart from God. Doing things for God is great, but doing things for God at the expense of your very heart, is a lie.

The work, the doing-what-you-think-is-right-to-do-next, the habit, the process, the formula – all that puts God into a nice little box – has to go. It’s not an acceptable path to Christ-likeness.

Not anymore.