Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
Judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. --
James was very concerned that the church be known for its mercy and not just its orthodoxy.
He reminds us that the worst bigot is a devout one,
so we have to stop being so judgmental and start loving others as ourselves.
But the problem for many of us is that we don't really even love ourselves.
The reason we struggle with being judgmental of others is precisely because
we are so judgmental of ourselves.
It is impossible to give mercy to yourself.
It can only be received as a loving gift.
This is the gift Jesus was dying to give us,
and it's the gift he expects us to keep passing around on his behalf.
But you can't give what you have never really accepted.
Jesus doesn't ask you to believe in mercy, which just reduces it to more orthodoxy;
he calls you to receive it.
It's easy to know if you have taken this mercy to heart
because it makes the harsh judgments evaporate.
As James said, "mercy triumphs over judgment."
This doesn't mean there isn't a biblical standard for behavior,
or that the church doesn't need to keep presenting this standard.
But God reserves for himself the right to judge those who fail at life.
According to this text, there is no one upon whom his judgment will be harsher
than those without mercy.
That's because our failure at giving mercy reveals how little of it we've received.
If you don't take God's mercy, all that's left is his judgment.
-- Craig Barnes