Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Jesus will one day judge everyone. The thought of our own personal accountability before God should make us merciful in our judgments of others.
James wants us to understand that showing favoritism to some means that we are being unmerciful to others - If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right!
This is the problem with favoritism. It leaves some people outside of our love. And James says that when we do this it is a sin and we are convicted as lawbreakers! Not only because we broke the command to love everyone, but also because of our reason for failing to do so.
What causes us to show favoritism? Isn’t it because of our prejudice? Perhaps against the poor or the uneducated! Maybe that someone’s sin is particularly odious to us!
Whatever the reason, we must have forgotten that we also are sinners - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
When we fail to show mercy to anyone, we destroy the bridge over which we ourselves must pass. For we too are sinners and must necessarily hope to receive mercy from the Righteous Judge!
The Teacher said, Judge not that you be not judged! Being merciful and loving to all - without favoritism - makes perfect sense when we understand our need for God’s love and mercy.
The tendency to judge some as unworthy of our time, fellowship or respect means we are being unmerciful and unloving. It really means we are failing to be good students of our Teacher. This is the evil of favoritism!
For Jesus loves everyone in the world, died for everyone in the world and invites everyone in the world to become His student and friend.
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