Judgment/Mercy

There’s an old preacher phrase that goes something like this: “No sin is too heavy for Christ to bear, and no sin is too light for Christ to spare.” The idea is that we often try to trivialize our wrongdoing by projecting our thinking onto God. Well, James spends most of the first part of chapter 2 dispelling that idea. Even something as seemingly benign by showing favoritism is offensive to God. Sin is sin!Favoritism is alive and well all around us. We see it in our “influencer” culture – cutting-edge, well-to-do, high achieving, stand-out athletes and “beautiful” people – all hawking products and experiences. They get to the front of the line, and they get it for free!Of course, what we see play out in the world should have no place in the church. Yet, sadly, it does. Wealthy, influential donors all get the pastor’s ear and serve on boards, either through their own “muscle” or through invitation.But the Bible makes it clear that believers in Christ must not show favoritism or treat some people as better or more worthy than others. It’s heartbreaking that we follow a Savior who ate with the poor, the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the marginalized, yet have hearts that are inclined towards the outward appearances.James calls us out on this. He says that we are judging others instead of showing mercy. “The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at… The Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). As believers in Jesus, we must remember that we are called to do the same.Grace & Peace,Pastor Aaron