God is merciful, yet James tells us that there are certain conditions under which God will not show us mercy! When will God not be merciful? When we refuse to show mercy to others. If we refuse to imitate God's mercy, God will imitate us in our lack of mercy. It is just as Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us."

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For Reflection:

In case we may be tempted to judge others, James reminds us that we all break God's Law and thus have no right to judge others.

- In the moments when you are tempted to be judgmental, what helps you to be more understanding and merciful?

- Suppose you were teaching this passage in a Sunday School class and a young child asked you, "Why won't God be merciful to you if you are not merciful?" How might you answer that child's question?