Mercy over Sacrifice

What does the quote, ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ really mean?  This is what Jesus told the religious leaders of his day and followed that by saying that they needed to learn what this meant.  This verse is a quote from Hosea 6:6.

Jesus uses this quote twice and it is found in Matthew  9:13 and He repeats it again in Matthew 12:7.  Here are the verses in context:

9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth.“Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 9:10 As Jesus was having a meal in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Jesus and hisdisciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does yourteacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12 When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. 9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

And:  

12:1 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pick heads of wheat and eat them. 12:2 But when the Pharisees saw this they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is against the law to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and hiscompanions were hungry – 12:4 how he entered the house of God and they ate the sacredbread, which was against the law for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests?12:5 Or have you not read in the law that the priests in the temple desecrate the Sabbath andyet are not guilty? 12:6 I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. 12:7 If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. 12:8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

As I see it, this really points out the difference between religion and relationships.  Religion places a priority on rules, & customs . People need to make sacrifice to make themselves worthy before a relationship can be established. Relationships makes people the priority and mercy is freely given so relationships can be established.  Mercy is unmerited favor toward those who have done wrong without them having to atone for their failures.  Sacrifice is people having to make amends for their failures before the relationship is restored.

So, where do we place our priorities?  Where do we place our highest priorities?  Are our rules and customs, our highest priority; or do we want friendships with all people?