Judgement & Mercy

In James chapter 2, he will shift from talking about how to love God to how to love people. And he will tell us that, among other things, love doesn’t show partiality. In other words, love doesn’t play favorites. It doesn’t discriminate against others based on external things like appearance, ancestry, or affluence, which are always superficial and shallow. James will argue that when we discriminate against people based on external and shallow measurements, we are being unreasonable, unloving, and actually are guilty of unfollowing Jesus. He will also argue that by breaking the law of love through partiality, we are all lawbreakers, and therefore subject to judgement. But the good news is that God’s mercy triumphs over judgement, and so can our mercy with one another.