I Want You to Know Me

“I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6

Six hundred years after these words were written by the prophet Hosea, Jesus quoted them to a group of Pharisees. He was responding to a question they had asked His disciples about Him sharing meals with sinners. The Pharisees, a religious group notorious for their proficiency at keeping the law, were offended by the words of Jesus. Even though they were teachers themselves, they failed to grasp the deeper meaning of this passage. Jesus wanted them to understand that a heart fully devoted is more meaningful to God than the outward trappings of religious ritual and ceremony. 

God desires relationship over religion. He says, “I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings.” The God of heaven wants you to know Him. He desires a personal and intimate relationship with you. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners because He looked past the sin and saw their potential. He sees what He knows we can become when we are changed by the power of His love.