Though Jesus was a devout Jew who practiced his faith, he was criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously nonobservant. Jesus criticizes the self-righteous and reminds us that mercy is to be at the heart of our religious practices. God continues to be made known in those on the margins of society, like Matthew the tax collector and the hemorrhaging woman. As we gather each Lord’s day we receive the healing that makes us well and sends us forth to be signs of God’s mercy for the world.

Stained glass of the raising of Jairus’s daughter by Ward and Hughes (c. 1865). Saint Bartholomew Church, Staffordshire, England. Photo by ASP Religion. Copyright © 2025 Alamy Stock Photo. Used by permission.

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