But if you knew what this means, “I want mercy and not sacrifice,” you would not condemn the innocent.
In these words Jesus recalls the words of the prophet Hosea (Hos. 6:6), which emphasize that God is more concerned with people’s hearts—their mercy and compassion—than with the strict observance of rituals and laws. The phrase “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” means that God prefers hearts filled with love and compassion rather than merely formal rites. With these words Jesus clarifies that if the Pharisees had truly understood God’s desire, they would not condemn His disciples for plucking heads of grain, because the purpose of the act was not to work, but to satisfy hunger (or, to say more, to satisfy hunger so that they might continue doing work that is pleasing to God). Jesus emphasizes that the main purpose of God’s law is care, not restraining people. For God, the condition of a person’s heart—love, mercy, compassion—is more important than blindly keeping the law, which at times can overlook people’s real needs.