Devotional - January 4, 2023
James 2:12-13 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Thanks James... In a world where one is born every minute, you call us to be mericul. At least, that is how we hear Scriptures like the one today. Our defenses go up and for good reason. We do not want to be taken advantage of by others. To show mercy, or to be merciful, is often viewed today as being naive or vulnerable. James is not using the term, merciful, in that way. No where in the Bible does God tell us to allow others to take advantage of us. Many misconstrue or misinterpret Scriptures trying to make us think it does, but it does not. What loving God, like ours, would ever tell their creation to allow such things? But some will say, look at Jesus. When Jesus went to the cross, He did so willingly, and more importantly, for a purpose, being our salvation (John 10:15 and 18, 1 Tim 2:6). God is merciful, but not to the point that we can sin freely or take advantage of God (Deuteronomy 4:31, Gal 6:7, Titus 3:5, and 1 Peter 1:3). God's grace allows for our growth (Luke 13: 6-9). Problems start when people look at others' weaknesses from their perceived strengths. They judge others, sometimes in malicious ways, when there are problems or they make mistakes. We all had careers and know folks who were quick to condemn and criticize others. If someone messed up, they were the first to spread the news and speak ill of it. There was no need to look further into the situation. There was nothing to understand because according to them, the fault lay with the one who did it. But, when they were the one, then there were all kinds of extenuating circumstances and they were being treated unfairly. Well, James let's know, not so with God. James tells us to act according to the golden rule (Mark 12: 30 -31). We have all fallen short (Romans 3: 23-24) and we all make mistakes. Life never lets up, and at times, it gets the better of us. And during these times, the last thing we need is someone to criticize or judge us. When they do, it is hard to forget. So, rather than loading someone up with blame and criticism, a little mercy can go a long way. Not to mention, it may be warranted when all the details of the situation become known. James knows this and it prompts him to say mercy triumphs over judgment. You don't have to apologize for false judgments or criticisms when the truth comes out. It's unfortunate that we live in a society that is obsessed with playing the blame game. As a society, we will never get anywhere playing this game. United we stand, divided we fall. And nowhere was this more true than in the Christian church in Jerusalem.
Pray with me, Gracious God, we are thankful for Your mercy. At times we can feel so justified, so angry about situations. We refuse to open ourselves to the truth. We stay fixed to the judgements we have made. Help us Lord to stay open to Your Spirit. Help us to resolve issues and stay focussed on You. Be with our loved ones, we pray, bless them in accordance with their needs. And bless our church so we can be the people You call us to be, in Jesus name. Amen
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
