Ministry of Grace Church

For judgment will be without mercy to the one not having shown mercy. Mercy rejoices over judgment.

Truth to Learn

Our merciful actions in this life will have eternal results.

Behind the Words

The word “judgment” is translated from krisis, which literally refers to a separation, hence a dividing between two things, or a judgment.

“Without mercy” is translated from anileōs, which is made up of the negative particle a, meaning “not” or “without” and hileōs, meaning “merciful.” Hence, it means “not merciful.”

The word translated “mercy” in the last two instances of this verse is translated from eleos, meaning “compassion.” There is a subtle difference between hileōs identified above and this word. Whereas hileōs (mercy) refers to the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, eleos (compassion) refers to a feeling of deep sympathy for the unfortunate condition of another and to be kind and forgiving as a result.

Katakauchaomai is the Greek word translated “rejoices.” It is composed of kata, meaning “against” and kauchaomai, meaning “to boast” of “to rejoice.” It literally means “to speak loudly against, to boast against, or to rejoice against.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, James talked about those who will be judged by the law of liberty (Christians). He pointed out that we should act in a righteous way because we are free to do so. In this verse he says that compassion is one form of that righteous action and it will defend us when our works are judged.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said a similar thing to what James is saying here:

“Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

James is talking about those of us who are under the law of liberty, that is, Christians. All unsaved people will appear before the Great White Throne judgment (Revelations 20:11-15) where their sins will be judged. They will be condemned to the Lake of Fire because they are sinful, not righteous. Christians, on the other hand, will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ where our works will be judged. Our sins will not be judged there, because they were all judged at the cross. The works that we do in the name of Christ, including being compassionate to the poor and oppressed of this world, will result in rewards for the believer. All other works will be burned up without mercy.

So, what James is saying is that if you are truly saved, you are no longer a slave to sin and you should be practicing righteousness, mercy, and love. If you are not saved, you cannot practice these because you are a slave to sin.

Application

When was the last time you had an opportunity to show mercy to someone else? No, I’m not referring to putting some spare change in the kettle at Christmas time. I’m talking about not taking action against someone who wronged you, even though you have the right and the opportunity to do so. Let’s all look for opportunities to be compassionate and merciful.