Mercy and Judgment - August 5

James 2:8-13

8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

Mercy triumphs over judgment. That is a huge statement. We deserve judgment – we receive mercy. Whenever I am faced with a choice between mercy and judgment I need to choose mercy whenever possible. That is acting like God. It doesn’t mean giving in to evil – but it does mean that at times we will have to suffer the consequences of someone letting us down or not coming through for us. It’s easy to sit in judgment of others – it doesn’t require anything of us except to accept the idea that we are right and they are wrong. ( I am not talking here about those in authority such as teachers or law enforcement))

What mercy is about is this – where there are opportunities to offer mercy we should – because that is what God does. Let us be authentic before others as we demonstrate mercy – that way they can see God in us.