The Quiet Disruption of Mercy
SHALA WILSON
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“Now when he heard this, he said, ‘It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.’” Matthew 9:12-13 (CSB)
Do you ever find yourself challenging the status quo? If you’re like me, doing things the way we’ve always done them doesn’t sit well when there’s a better way. But disruption takes courage and audacity to do things differently. Thankfully we can look to our disruptor-in-chief, Jesus Christ, to show us what holy disruption looks like and help us consider how we can imitate Him in healthy ways today.
As Jesus was building His core group of disciples, He didn’t recruit at the local rabbinic school or choose from the elders at the city gate. He started with blue-collar Jewish fishermen. If that didn’t challenge social norms enough, He added Matthew, a tax collector, to the team! Tax collectors were frowned upon because they were Jews collecting taxes from fellow Jews to pay Rome, their oppressor.
After Jesus invited Matthew to follow Him, something peculiar happened.
Jesus and His disciples were having a meal when many tax collectors and sinners came to eat with them. Nothing said “disruption” in first-century Israel like welcoming these people for dinner. The Pharisees questioned the disciples about this, to which Jesus responded, “It is not those who are well who need a doctor, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13).
Here’s what’s interesting: The tax collectors and sinners just seemed to show up and start eating with Jesus. They weren’t invited, but they weren’t turned away, either.
By this time, Jesus’ ministry had attracted thousands. People were paying attention to Jesus. They were curious about Jesus. They wanted to be where Jesus was. Perhaps for personal gain, but perhaps because they wondered if this was really the Messiah they had heard of all their lives, they sought Him out. And Jesus welcomed them to table fellowship because He knew they needed Him.
When the Pharisees saw this affront to the way they had always done things, Jesus quoted from Hosea: “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6, NIV).
The Hebrew word for “mercy” in this verse is hesed, which also means “compassionate love.” This kind of mercy is disruptive in a world that calls us to consider ourselves above others.
Sisters, how can we quietly disrupt our world with mercy? Maybe it looks like refraining from questioning why someone is in need and instead simply offering what we have when they ask. Maybe it looks like giving someone a second (or third) chance. Or maybe it looks like inviting someone to dinner who doesn’t see things the way we do.
Perhaps then we’ll find Jesus in the midst.
Father, we need Your mercy on our lives. We would be lost without an invitation from Jesus. Help us to be like Him, quietly extending mercy to others You love so dearly. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Have you ever had the thought, I really thought I was past this? It’s frustrating to find yourself back in a place that feels all too familiar. But maybe this isn’t about starting over — it’s about finally seeing what’s been there all along. Don’t Let Go is a study designed to help you recognize those patterns and respond differently, right in the moment they show up. Not perfectly but intentionally. Because that’s where change begins. If you’re ready to stop going back to what you’re ready to be free from, you can get your Don’t Let Go study guide today from the Proverbs 31 Bookstore.
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You can find Shala on Instagram for more everyday reminders of God’s unlimited truths.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV).
Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (NIV).
How has God been merciful to you? How can you offer mercy to those around you?
Who do you need to make room for at the table?
We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.
© 2026 by Shala Wilson. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Monday, 29 June 2026.
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