Romans 9:30-33

30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness [who did not seek salvation by right relationship to God] have attained it by faith [a righteousness imputed by God, based on and produced by faith],

    

31 Whereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law [for the securing] of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.

    

32 For what reason? Because [they pursued it] not through faith, relying [instead] on the merit of their works [they did not depend on faith but on what they could do]. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone.

Look very closely at what we are told in these three verses. Our Father plainly tells us that Israel tried to be righteous with Him by keeping laws and they failed miserably. They held tightly to the Ten Commandments and dozens upon dozens of other laws and they failed. They failed because faith was never a part of their belief. They believed in things that they could boast about and things in which they could condemn. They didn’t have mercy, they had works. They lived in constant judgment of what people were doing, instead of forgiveness through Grace. To be forgiven was never free for the Israelites, it always had to be earned. So our Father caused them to fail, because there was no compassion.  

33 As it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.

Jesus however is all about compassion and forgiveness. Jesus brings love and humbleness to us. Through Christ we are used by our Father to serve and therefore we cannot boast and we cannot condemn. Through Christ we are empowered and desire to forgive people even if they wrong us seven times seventy times, Matthew 18:22. Through Christ we do not look at what a person has done or is doing, we look at Grace and what Jesus did and is doing. Through Christ we don’t look at if a person asked for forgiveness or not, we intercede and forgive them regardless. Laws do not allow us to live this way, laws demand that the person has to do the works themselves. Grace demands that Jesus has to do it through us.