James 2:13b: Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Have you noticed the world is more hostile than ever? Tension levels are increasing as people take more extreme positions on their worldviews. There is a rapidly shrinking concept of a common ground to which people can temporarily lay down their rhetoric, take a breath, and listen to others with a compassionate mind. Instead, their emotions and passions behind their viewpoints reach such high levels, they put themselves in a place of judgment on all that don’t agree with them. We see a lot of people shouting and screaming, and fewer and fewer people sitting back and listening.
Whether these people are individuals or organizations, their worldviews have become written or unwritten agendas to determine whether or not you are “with them” or “against them”. With so many different agendas being promoted, we should not be surprised by the level of conflict and tensions increasing. Many of these agendas preach tolerance, but these are hollow messages as they are every bit as intolerant as those they accuse if you do not agree with them. Again, the sinister and subtle truth of these agendas is they put people in a place of judgment against others.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” What the Lord is saying is when we put ourselves in a place of judging others, we are also putting ourselves in a place to be judged. Just as consequences are undeniably linked to free will, judgment on those who judge in inseparable. Now, consider today’s verse, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” The only true judge is the Lord God – He has the final say. Jesus, being God, delivers the clear mindset of God’s opinion of judgment – mercy is better. Hosea said in verse six, chapter six of his book, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
If God, being the supreme and final judge, tells us His preference is mercy, shouldn’t that get our attention? Why would God take such an “extreme” position? Because He is merciful. If He was not, He would have never sent His only beloved and begotten Son to die on a cross to take the judgment for our sin. Just because God desires mercy, this does not mean He will not judge. Evil must be judged, or God would not be just. However, God’s preference is to be merciful in the hope that people will recognize a merciful mindset must have a personal affection behind it. Someone who is merciful is more interested in compassion than judgment – more interested in restoration than condemnation.
God is not mocked – He can’t be fooled. The path of ongoing rejection of Jesus and unrepentant sin has only one ending – judgment and permanent separation from God. But thanks be to Him, that is not His preference. Because He is God, He can be both merciful and judgmental. Only He can find that balance of when to implement either. However, He has made it clear His desire is to be merciful.
Are you walking around pointing your fingers at others in judgment? Imagine what a difference you could make should you repent and look upon others with compassion and offer mercy. That may seem like a huge sacrifice, but that is the life we are commanded to lead. Jesus is our role model – His God-induced act of mercy on the cross has changed millions, if not billions, of lives. Put your gavel down, pick up your cross, and show the world what our merciful God looks like. He will honor that, and prepare yourself for an amazing revelation of the truth that mercy triumphs over judgment.