A Word from James: Mercy

by Marilynn Chadwick Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13 NIV). Our two boys loved to wrestle with each other when they were little. If things got out of hand, the one who felt overpowered could cry out, "Mercy!" This was their signal of surrender. All tickling and roughhousing (at least in theory) was supposed to cease. Mercy calls out to the stronger to acknowledge the weaker one and show compassion. Mercy is woven throughout the Bible. Mercy is at the very heart of God's motivation for our salvation. Yet mercy is sometimes treated as a lesser virtue. Mistaken for mere sentimentality or emotionalism, mercy is seen by some as weak. James wants us to raise mercy to its rightful place of honor. Mercy is worthy of our deepest respect, he argues. Mercy is the social code by which believers are called to live. James exhorts followers of Jesus to a life of words and deeds governed by mercy: Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:12-13 NIV). Mercy, or eleos in the Greek, describes the compassion which moves us to alleviate another’s misery and relieve their suffering. Jesus used the story of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate eleos (Luke 10:37 NIV). To be hard-hearted, letter-of-the-law insistent, and unmoved by any extenuating circumstances, violated the spirit of the law. Plain and simple. Mercy characterizes the way God treats me. So naturally, it should characterize the way I treat others. Lord, slow me down today. Show me what causes my heart to be hard at times. Resistant to giving or receiving mercy. Could it be that I am simply moving too fast to notice the one in need of your mercy? I pray for a new vision of mercy as the true heart of Jesus. Make me especially alert to watch for opportunities today to show eleos to one of your children. Amen.

A Word from James: Discrimination

by Marilynn Chadwick If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:3-4 NIV). This word “discriminate” is a hot-button for me. I grew up in the deep South during the birth-pangs of the Civil Rights movement. Our town was the headquarters for the KKK. The first African American cheerleader in our high school's long football history was on my cheer squad. It was the 1970's in Georgia. Racial tensions were high. As cheerleading captain, I fought hard to help our team learn to stand strong against discrimination and care for one another. To remain unified. I wasn't a follower of Jesus at the time - that would come later. But in my heart, I knew discrimination was wrong, sinful, unjust. James hammers home the dangers of discrimination. Racial tension wasn't so much a problem for the early church as were religious and class distinctions. Some things never change. There was still a wrestling match among believers about whether to allow all those "unclean Gentiles" into their fellowship. It was not an easy marriage. As leader of the Jerusalem church, James probably had to oversee his share of disputes. No wonder they called him "camel knees." I'm sure he spent lots of time praying for love and unity among the believers. Over sixty years ago J.B. Phillips, a minister in the Church of England, authored a New Testament translation which was one of the earliest attempts to capture God's Word in a modern language. Notice Phillips' word choice as you prayerfully meditate on James' warnings about the dangers of discrimination: Don’t ever attempt, my brothers, to combine snobbery with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ! Suppose one man comes into your meeting well-dressed and with a gold ring on his finger, and another man, obviously poor, arrives in shabby clothes. If you pay special attention to the well-dressed man by saying, “Please sit here—it’s an excellent seat”, and say to the poor man, “You stand over there, please, or if you must sit, sit on the floor”, doesn’t that prove that you are making class-distinctions in your mind, and setting yourselves up to assess a man’s quality?—a very bad thing. For do notice, my brothers, that God chose poor men, whose only wealth was their faith, and made them heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love him (James 2:3-4 PHILLIPS). I'm reading those words with fresh eyes this morning, asking God to guard my heart against judging anyone by their outsides rather than their insides. Holy Spirit, I ask for your conviction. Don't let me show special favor because of someone's wealth, social standing, gifts, abilities, or attractiveness. Give me your eyes to see into their heart and love others as you love them. Thank you Lord, that you never discriminate.

A Word from James: Bridle

by Marilynn Chadwick If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless, and he deceives himself (James 1:26 CSB). I love words. Words allow us to connect with each other—and with God. But I've seen the damage words can do to individuals, families, churches, even nations. James warns us to use our words wisely. He gives us a sober reflection on the dangers of the tongue. I may think I am walking out my faith well. But James warns that if I don't watch my words, I'm in trouble. The exact translation of this verse from the original Greek reads like this: “If someone thinks that he is religious, yet does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26 MOUNCE). Notice the translator adds a twist: If I don't "bridle” my tongue, then I actually deceive my own heart. What's more, my religion, James says, is worthless. The word translated worthless conveys "purposelessness or futility." My faith is futile. Ouch. Words prove what's in our heart. Jesus said it this way: "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart" (Luke 6:45 NLT). Sometimes, I speak before I think. I need to grow in the area of governing my speech. Maybe you, too, struggle with your words. Bridling my tongue goes deeper than just my words. Jesus reminds me it's a heart issue. The message of James is straightforward. If I keep my heart clean, my words will take care of themselves. Lord, put a watch over the door to my lips. Catch me before I speak words that wound. Fill my heart so full of your love that my words will bring life to those around me. Make me sensitive to your voice and receptive to your Word. Daily.