James 2:12-13 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.
There is so much finger pointing and blame shifting that fills the news cycle these days. So few people are willing to allow the buck to stop with them. People just don’t like to take responsibility for the consequences of their choices. It is a sad situation.
But it is more than sad. The refusal to take responsibility for the consequences of choices is a cancer on the moral fabric of our society. When people can act with impunity they will sink to the basest forms of behavior. Just look at the cities that have been rioted into closure and the politicians who write exemptions for themselves.
But we as Christians often fall into the same moral trap. We act as if there weren’t consequences to our actions. We rely on grace without obedience.
The Scriptures include commands. There are some things that aren’t optional in the Christian life. And for the first Jewish Christians, determining what made the list and what didn’t was difficult. They had lived their lives with the interpretation of the Old Testament that was accepted by the Jewish community of their day.
And now, a new way of living had been introduced as a consequence of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. They had to figure out how to reconcile these two ways of living. James, the author of our text, is helping them work through their dilemma.
The Jews had seen compliance with the Law as the means to salvation. They kept the Law as a way to gain access to God. They were the primary initiators in the relationship and the ones responsible for maintaining it.
This perspective changed when the Holy Spirit came and enlightened them to the Truth found in the Gospel. God was the initiator, not mankind. He was the one to accomplish it, not the rule following masses. The old way had been retired because a new way had been reintroduced.
I remember having to discipline my kids. Sometimes the punishment was handed out. But sometimes I could tell by their behavior and expression that they had already learned the lesson, so I was able to extend mercy. The punishment wasn’t needed; the lesson had been learned.
In those times there was a different law at work. The goal of my discipline was the impartation of understanding. The goal was not blind obedience. It was obedience as a response to the love we had shown. We gave them freedom in every area except certain prescribed zones, zones that involved safety and respect.
Our children needed to learn that they were part of a community, our family. We chose to act certain ways to demonstrate our respect for each other and the blessings of God in our lives. The restraints molded them toward this goal.
And this is what is missing in so much of culture today. The molding taking place has a goal that diverges from what has historically been successful across cultures throughout history. This has led to the riots and destruction, the shoplifting and the lack of prosecution, blatant disregard for the laws of this country and the flaunting of those laws. A society can’t survive intact when the foundations of our covenant are disregarded.
James encourages his audience to recognize the role of mercy in their interactions with each other and with God. The rules are less important than the outcome of our behavior. Are we living in such a way as to demonstrate the mercy of God to a dying and desperate world? Or are we demanding that they obey our law? Are we inviting them to a living relationship with a living Savior, or are we imposing a new moral code with no possibility of compliance!
Mercy triumphs over judgment. Let’s try mercy for a change.
The Arnold Journey 