13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:13
Mercy
While Jesus was sitting in the temple teaching a crowd of people, His lesson quickly became one about mercy. As Jesus was teaching, He was interrupted by a passionate and bloodthirsty crowd headed by the scribes and Pharisees. These men, who were supposed to be doing the teaching and leading were here to test Jesus. Their object lesson was a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. Moses commanded us to stone such a woman to death, but what do you say?
Before He opened His mouth, Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground. I have often heard people accuse the religious leaders of foul play, after all where was the guilty man? Was this woman framed? Also, much speculation has been made about what Jesus wrote on the ground. Some suggest that He began to write down sins that the accusers were guilty of. Perhaps even affairs. I don’t know what happened to the man, or what Jesus wrote, but I do know one thing, the religious leaders did not get the response from Jesus that they expected, and the woman did not get what she deserved. Instead, a crowd of sinners learned from the Savior that mercy triumphs over judgment.
Partiality
James begins his second chapter teaching about the dangers of partiality. Specifically, he warns against exalting the wealthy and dishonoring the poor among us. James then reminds us that our objective is to “love our neighbor as yourself”, in contrast to showing partiality which is a sin. After all, he reminds us, breaking one commandment makes us guilty of violating the whole of the law. And as we know, breaking the law brings judgment. But thanks to Christ, we are judged by the law of liberty (James 2:12).
Authority
When the scribes and Pharisees brought the adulteress woman to Jesus, they brought her under the authority of Moses. Moses said we are to stone her. Case settled. But Hebrews chapter three tells us that Jesus is greater than Moses. As a matter of fact, Jesus created Moses. Moses was a servant of God, Jesus is the Son of God. God used Moses to deliver the law, God sent Jesus to fulfill the law. Moses, as representative of the law, could condemn the woman, Jesus as the Savior could forgive her. Perhaps when Jesus bent down to write on the ground, He drew a picture of the cross. The only reason mercy triumphs over judgment is because Jesus endured our judgment when He hung on the cross. The hand that wrote on the ground would be nailed to a Roman cross. The lips that said, “neither do I condemn you”, would later cry out, “It is finished”.
We Can Relate
We were once the adulteress woman. When we were brought before Jesus in all of our shame, He showed us mercy. When Jesus forgave us, He told us to go and sin no more. Do we understand what it means that we have been shown mercy when we deserved judgment? Think about the woman as she was brought before Jesus. She was guilty. She was brought before a crowd; as if she wasn’t ashamed and embarrassed enough already. She is brought to the temple and thrust before Jesus, the miracle-working young rabbi. Perhaps Jesus bent to write on the ground because this woman couldn’t even lift her eyes. Moses said to stone her and her accusers had already armed themselves. They were just waiting for Jesus to acquiesce. How do you suppose she felt when Jesus turned the tables on her accusers? What must have gone through her mind when one by one they walked away, carrying judgment with them? “Has no one condemned you?…Neither do I condemn you.” Mercy triumphed.
People of Mercy
As forgiven people, we are to be people of mercy. James tells us that faith without works is dead. Here he is telling us if we don’t show mercy we don’t have evidence of being saved by grace, and therefore will be subject to judgment. But, we are people of mercy, and therefore are supposed to exercise it. Which brings us back to partiality. James reminds us there is no place for it. In the culture during the time of James, for all practical purposes, there was no middle class. You simply had the wealthy and the poor and you knew which side of the divide you were on. The culture might make such a distinction, but in the church, the dividing wall was toppled. There was no room for partiality. Period. The self-seeking attitude that shows preference to the wealthy and the pride that shows condescension to the poor do not reflect the law of liberty. Far from it, James writes that when we make such distinctions we have become “judges with evil thoughts” (James 2:4). Judgment is not supposed to rule the day.
Although partiality is still a problem, I doubt that it is so to the extent that is was during the Roman empire. While the sins of self-seeking and pride are alive and well, I believe that they are more likely to flesh themselves out in self-righteousness. I may be wrong, but how many people will not come into our churches because they will have the stones of judgment cast at them? I understand that sometimes such excuses are fabricated, but I am not so naive as to believe that it is never true. Shame on us when it is. Christ went to the cross for the adulteress woman. He went to the cross for you and me. He went to the cross so we could worship together as equals. Jesus “wrote” on the ground with his blood, so we would drop our stones and hold out hands of mercy. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Especially the “adulteress women” of the world. Christ has chosen not to condemn them so why should we? Mercy Triumphs!!
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7
26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful…” – 2 Samuel 22:26