Day 305: The triumph of mercy - James 2 vs 1 – 13

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.  2-4 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place”, while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there”, or, “Sit down at my feet”, have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  5-7 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?  But you  have dishonoured the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honourable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself”, you are doing well.  9-11 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  For he who said, “Do not commit adultery”, also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  12-13 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement. James 2:1-13 English Standard Version

Social barriers are as old as history itself and found in every part of the world. And it's usually less an issue of skin colour than that of rich and poor. We see that in this part of James where he urges Christians to not show favouritism in their faith (vs 1), and gives an example in vs 2-4. A modern example of this sort of 'making distinction' was in India's caste system. Some people there were even known as 'untouchables'. But when Indians came to know Christ through the work of the missionary William Carey, he wouldn't baptize anyone who clung to the caste system. Soon Hindu Brahmans (members of the highest caste) were serving 'the Lords Supper' to 'untouchables'. What's the first reason James gave why Christians were not to fuss over wealthy people and disregard the poor? (vs 5-7)

Because God doesn't favour the rich over the poor! Jesus chose fishermen, not Pharisees, as His first disciples. Then, as now, it was often wealthy people who exploited the poor. It was often the wealthy who were arrogant and who had no time for God or Christianity. But what's the deeper reason he gives why Christians shouldn't make distinctions based on social status or race. (vs 8)

If we've experienced the love of Christ we should eagerly want to obey (what James calls) the 'royal law of Scripture', i.e. to show the same concern and care for others as we do for ourselves. Remember too that Jesus said 'love one another as I have loved you'. Measured by the royal law, showing partiality and making distinctions is sin. It puts us in the same position as those who break the commandments about adultery, and even murder! That's serious stuff. We are sinners if we've broken any of God's commandments – not just the big ones. Which brings us to the ultimate reason why we shouldn't make evil judgements of others based on favouritism or prejudice. What is that? (vs 12-13)

God treated us with mercy. We were law-breakers who deserved to be excluded from His presence. But in Christ Jesus He pardoned us and brought us into His family. He didn't make any distinction based on our cleverness, wealth, race or position in society. He calls us to show the same mercy towards one another. God's family is a place of forgiveness and acceptance. Elizabeth Elliot – a well known Christian author – associated with Christians who, before they were saved, had been members of a primitive tribe in Ecuador that had killed her missionary husband a few years earlier. Their primitive background and jungle culture was no barrier to loving fellowship with a believer from the modern world. They were one in Christ.