Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement. [James 2:12-13 NIV]
I want to be very honest - I have not found these two verses easy to unpack and I have spent time reading commentaries with their different interpretations. For example, John MacArthur is convinced that James must be speaking about 'an unredeemed person' (a non-Christian) who is facing eternal judgement in hell. The fact that he is not displaying mercy to the poor is evidence that he has never received God's mercy or his salvation. However, another conservative theologian , William MacDonald interprets these verses as applying to believers and says that there is no suggestion of eternal punishment in these verses. He says that this is an example of God dealing with His children.
If we do not show mercy to others, we are not walking in fellowship with God and can expect to suffer the consequences of a backslidden condition. [William MacDonald: The Believer's Bible Commentary]
James is bringing to a conclusion his discussion on the favouritism shown to the rich, ostentatious visitor contrasted with the despicable mistreatment of the poor man. As well as providing a summary of the main argument, he ends with a strong exhortation for them to change their conduct. James uses short pithy proverbs or aphorisms which are sometimes so condensed that they need to be unpacked.
So James is speaking of impending judgement ahead for the early Jewish Christians and this judgement is based on a failure to adhere to the Law of Liberty. This sounds very depressing. We don't like to think of divine judgement.
Not only does the Bible frequently bring up the theme of judgment, but the biblical sense of judgment is far more severe than what is commonly said in pulpits and in devotional books that focus on God’s unconditional grace and love. [Scot
McKnight: The Letter of James (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (p218). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition. ]
Scot McKnight points out that the early Christians believed that this judgement was imminent and certain. There is no doubt that theologians have played down this aspect of God's character - perhaps to increase the appeal to the world. God is holy and he cannot tolerate sin.
Let us look in some detail at the content of the two verses.
Speak and act. Throughout his letter James emphasises that speech and actions or deeds go hand in hand. It is not just our profession of faith which matters; our deeds and actions will reveal whether or not our profession of faith is real. So James talks about what we say and what we do in the context of treating the poor.
Those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom. Prior to becoming followers of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jews had followed a strict code of observing the Law of Moses. Now that they had become Christians they were no longer bound by the ritual linked to the observance of Jewish laws - especially if they had been influenced by the teachings of the Pharisees [See previous Day Share entitled, "Opposition from the Jews" (30/10/2020) and "Clean hands or dirty hands" (04/04/2022)]. They knew that they did not need good works or strict obedience to the Torah (law of Moses) to make them right in God's sight so they may have begun to believe that there were no moral standards to which they had to adhere. James is correcting this notion. In fact, there is a higher standard of moral conduct and obedience under the New Covenant or as James describes it, "the law of freedom.' It is based on Jesus commandment to love each other but there are moral and ethical standards associated with it. A person who lives their life in rebellion to God's Word raises a serious doubt about whether they have been 'born again' or 'born from above.'
Judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. James now speaks about mercy as a quality which is expected from followers of Jesus Christ. Some commentators make much of the fact that James suddenly introduces mercy into the letter. In verse 8 of chapter 2, James talks about love as an essential feature of the Christian character - loving our neighbour as ourselves [See Day Share entitled, "Keeping the Royal Law" (28/08/2022)].
But, although James does not use the word mercy until verse 13, it is clearly implied in the incident of the two visitors to the synagogue or the meeting room. The 'usher' did not show mercy towards the poor person but judged him harshly. James tells the Jewish Christian community, "You have insulted the poor" (James 2:6) and this could be interpreted as a lack of mercy in their dealing with the poor. Also the previous chapter ends with a reference to looking after widows and orphans which is also an indication of mercy. But James points out that we are dependent on the mercy of God for salvation. How then can we fail to be merciful to others knowing that God has shown mercy to us. Jesus told a very challenging parable (prefaced by the words 'the kingdom of heaven is like') about a king who cancelled a huge debt for one of his servants. The debt amounted to ten thousand bags of gold. That same servant did not appreciate that he was acting unjustly when he insisted that another servant pay him a debt which was small by comparison - merely one hundred silver coins. He had no mercy to this poor servant's pleas for mercy and instead put him into prison for failure to pay the debt. (Matthew 18:23-35). This parable is very relevant to these verses in James's letter. The unmerciful servant received severe punishment from the king.
James is expecting that his readers or hearers will change their attitude to the poor. If they repent of their lack of mercy, they will enjoy God's forgiveness. They will enjoy the blessings which God wants to bestow upon them. If they refuse, there is every reason to doubt if they have been saved at all. In Chapter 5, James speaks of the rich being punished for their attitude towards the poor and this would appear to happen on this earth and does not refer to future judgement.
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.” [James 5:1-6 NIV]
James seems to be indicating that they will lose their wealth which they have gained by dishonest means. These verses may refer to a different group, however. It may refer to non-Christians who have exploited the poor. It is to be hoped that Christians were not treating the poor in this way - refusing to pay the wages of their workers, for example.
because. The New International Version begins verse 13 with 'because'. The Greek word is 'gar' which means 'for.' There is a clear link between the statement in verse 12 and the two proverbs in verse 13. In other words, our behaviour which in the context of chapter 2 relates to our attitude towards the poor, will be governed by our awareness of God's holy standards. He is a God of love and mercy and he expects his people to show mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgement. This is a positive statement. Scot McKnight speaks of the positive and optimistic note struck in these verses. He sees this as God's dealings in mercy with those who repent of their mistreatment of the poor. They can enjoy the bliss of sins forgiven and the reality of fellowship with God. Scot McKnight draws our attention to the word translated as 'triumphs.' It is translated as 'boast' in Romans 11:18. He talks about Mercy personified being the victor over Justice personified. James is using a figure of speech called personification where abstract qualities are given human attributes. You would not expect Mercy to be the victor but it is. To paraphrase McKnight, Mercy cocks a snout at Justice. This is how James ends this section of looking at the issue of the different welcomes given to the rich and the poor as they come to the meeting place. It is a general statement that applies to all of Scripture. God is a God of Mercy and Justice or Judgement is His strange work. Because of the sufferings of the Saviour, God can be merciful to mankind and withhold the judgement which we deserve.
Photo by Luis Alberto Sanchez Terrones on Unsplash
Appendix
Here are some passages of the Bible which relate to the themes covered in this Day Share.
Other passages dealing with the thought of judgement for sin in equal measure to our sin.
For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
[Matthew 7:2 NIV]
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. [James 3:18 NIV]
Similar teaching from the Book of Proverbs
Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
[Proverbs 17:5 NIV]
Similar teaching from the Lord Jesus.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. [Matthew 5:7 NIV]
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [Matthew 6:12 NIV]
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6:14-15 NIV]
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. [Matthew 18:23-35 NIV]
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. [Mark 11:25 NIV]
Another passage in James speaking of judgement on the rich.
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. [James 1:9-11 NIV]
Consequences for our actions in James's Letter
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. [James 3:18 NIV]
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. [James 4:10 NIV]
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. [James 5:1-6 NIV]
Merciful Character of God from the prophet Micah.
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. [Micah 7:18 NIV]
댓글