Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

Scripture Verse that caught my attention today: James 2:13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

Observation: Mercy is a key characteristic of God. Jesus says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” in Luke 6:36. Several times in the Bible we are told that God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8 and elsewhere). And though I hand never thought of it like this before, God instructed the ancient Israelites to construct a ‘mercy seat’ where upon God promised to meet the people and offer the gift of God’s commandments.

Application: I remember well the day that Father Jon Sobrino came to the seminary as a guest lecturer. Fr. Sobrio was a Jesuit priest who had been left out of an atrocity. He was part of a close-knit group of seven priests in El Salvador (a South American country). One day, while he was away, gunmen stormed the compound and massacred his six friends/fellow priests.

Some years later, Fr. Sobrion was at our seminary recounting the experience and helping us all to come to terms not only with what happened, but also how to move forward.

A quiet and unassuming man with little interest in being dramatic, he still broke down a couple of times throughout the day. But he also remained resolute on his main point—mercy triumphs over judgment. He recounted the story of the Good Samaritan. After telling the story Jesus asked, the lawyer who was testing him, Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37).

It would seem, at least according to James, that the only people that God is not merciful toward are those who show no mercy. But then again, that’s not necessarily the whole story either. No mercy was shown to Jesus on the cross, except perhaps for the sponge he was offered of sour wine. Yet “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” came forth from his lips.

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Prayer: Lord be merciful to those of us who have trouble being merciful. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Isaiah 32-35 and James 2)