<div>9:13&nbsp;<em>Go</em>- The Lord was telling them to literally get out of the house, and do some Bible study. Of course, the Pharisees spent their time doing this. The Lord's point was that if they really meditated upon the implications of God's love of grace over sacrifice, then they would understand that it is therefore actually necessary to eat with sinners to call them to repentance.</div>
<div><em>And learn</em>- The Pharisees saw themselves as only teachers, not pupils. The Lord had diagnosed this problem, for He told them as a teacher would tell a pupil: &ldquo;Go ye and learn what that means...&rdquo;. He sent them away to do some homework. And there is a warning for speaking brethren here; the repeated experience of teaching can take away from the eternal sense of student-ship which the true believer will ever feel.</div>
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<em>What this means</em>- Literally, 'what is'. The same two Greek words have just been on the Lord's lips to the Scribes- &quot;<em>What is</em>&nbsp;easier...&quot; (9:5). Capernaum was a small place, and probably the incidents recorded in Matthew 9 featured the same group of opponents.&nbsp;<br />
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<em>I desire mercy and not sacrifice</em>- This was some kind of proof text for the Lord, for He says exactly the same words in Mt. 12:7: &quot;If you had known what this means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless&quot;. The context of Hos. 6:6 (from where the Lord was quoting) was of God appealing to a deeply apostate Israel through the situation of Hosea and Gomer. He appeals for her to show&nbsp;<em>chesed</em>, covenant love (&quot;mercy&quot;), and not just give the external appearances of a marriage relationship (cp. offering sacrifices). Here in the Capernaum incident, the Lord is saying that He fellowships with sinners because God loves the display of grace rather than technical obedience. If God wishes&nbsp;<em>chesed</em>, covenant love, from us, then how do we show it? By fellowshipping with sinners and thereby calling them to repentance. The love which God wishes us to show to Him is channelled in practice through calling others to repentance. For that is the greatest display of love for Him. And if that principle is followed, then we will be lead through the practice of such grace to never condemn the guiltless (this is how the Lord uses&nbsp;Hos. 6:6 in Mt. 12:7).&nbsp;<br />
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<em>I came not to call</em>- It was the disciples, including Matthew, who had only recently been 'called' (Mt. 4:21). Matthew again is showing that he considered himself a sinner, one of the sick who needed a doctor.&nbsp;<br />
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<em>The righteous</em></i>- Those who&nbsp;<em>thought they were</em>&nbsp;righteous.</div>
<p><em>But sinners to repentance</em>- AV and some MSS. The fellowship of the Lord Jesus was a call towards repentance, not a reward for it. See on 3:11; John baptized people&nbsp;<em>unto</em>&nbsp;repentance. The methods of the Lord should be ours, for having spent His ministry doing this, He transferred it to us in bidding us likewise go worldwide and call others to repentance (Lk. 24:47).&nbsp;</p>