Choosing Mercy Over Judgment | James 2:1-13

A flight delay is annoying. A missed connection is frustrating. But a long, rainy, late-night drive with a driver who looks seriously unwell can turn stress into something deeper: a moment that reveals what is really in our hearts. We tell the full story of a trip to Grand Rapids that went wildly off plan, from airport chaos to a tense overnight rideshare, and how God used it to confront our instincts to judge quickly. 

Then we open James 2:1-13 and let Scripture do its work. James does not soften the message: favoritism is sin, and the royal law still stands, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We talk honestly about the difference between wisdom and suspicion, compassion and denial, mercy and enabling. Safety concerns can be real and still leave room for dignity, patience, and respect for the person in front of us. 

One verse lingers over everything, James 2:13 in the New Living Translation: “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.” We wrestle with what it means to ask God for forgiveness while withholding compassion from others, especially when we are tired, disappointed, or afraid. You will also hear practical self-reflection questions you can carry into your week: Who receives our patience? Who do we rush past? Whose story have we decided we understand without listening? 

If you are looking for a short Christian devotional podcast that connects real life to the Book of James, this one will meet you right where you are. Subscribe for weekly devotionals, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and if you can, leave a review so more people can find the message.

Click Here for Devotional Link

Download Birth of Jesus E-book Here - Scroll and download 

Follow me on Substack for application questions & reflection on each episode. Share your comments 

Study of Ruth - Click Here

Study of Judges - Click Here

Study of Joshua - Click Here

Follow Jessi Morgan on social:
TikTok - @Jessimorganfaith
IG - @Jessimorganfaith
Website: www.jessimorganhome.com/devotions
Contact: jessi@jessimorganhome.com
Podcast Music by: prazkhanal
Song: Whip

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

Welcome And Podcast Heart

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 116. This week's devotional is titled Choosing Mercy Over Judgment. James 2, 1 through 13. Excited? Let's go. Hi, I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart. My journey in love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast. This is a weekly devotional I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, God worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith woven together with Scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within.

Choosing Mercy Over Judgment

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Choosing mercy over judgment. Key passage, James 2, 1 through 13. Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the podcast. Um, today I'm just gonna kick it off with a story. Um, we're gonna continue our study of James, of course, like I said before, uh, chapters, uh, chapter 2, verses 1 through 13. And to really get into this passage, I need to tell you about my weekend.

Flight Delays And Hard Choices

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Because getting to a kitchen tour in Grand Rapids, Michigan turned into an adventure, a tough adventure, I absolutely did not have on my bingo card. So months ago, I bought two tickets to a kitchen tour featuring one of my favorite designers, Jean Stoffer. My wonderful sister-in-law was meeting me there from New York, and I was just so excited. Because beautiful kitchens, time together, and the chance to meet Jean herself. Yes, please, I'm going. So after, so I guess like after Thursday, Friday afternoon, I hugged my little family, grabbed my bags, and headed to the Miami Airport. My flight was supposed to leave at 3:30 p.m., um, connect through Chicago and get and then get me to Grand Rapids that night. I was getting in like around 10 p.m. Simple enough, right? So I got through security with TSA Pre-Check, which by the way might be one of one of my favorite purchases ever. And shout out to my bestie Amanda, who scolded me the last time we traveled together because I didn't have it. Amanda, you were right. Anyways, so there I was at the gate. It was around 2.15 with my new with my new carry-ons. I was styling, I was ready to go, and it was raining, but I wasn't too concerned. Then my phone lit up. The famous lit up notification. My flight was delayed till 6 30 p.m. Well, that there went my um connecting flight to Chicago to from Chicago to Grand Rapids. The airline automatically rebooked me to arrive the next morning, but we needed to pick up our wristbands at 9 a.m. and the tour ended at 1. So that felt way too close, and my sister-in-law would be there by herself. I called customer support for the airline, and the agent found another option: a 6 p.m. flight to Chicago with a later connecting to Grand Rapids. But the one little detail the flight was leaving from Fort Lauderdale. I was in Miami. It was already 3 45 p.m. on a Friday, but I went for it. By about 4 p.m., I was in a lift car heading north. There was traffic, but I thought, okay, I might get there around 5 10 p.m. I can do this. Then we reached the airport exit. A parking lot, bumper to bumper traffic. We were completely stuck on the ramp to departures. At that point, I texted my sister-in-law and told her to stay home. I would reimburse her. I just didn't think I was gonna make it. But she kept telling me, You're going to make it, you're going to make it. She's so positive. And she headed to the airport anyway. Eventually, I did what I saw other people doing. I got out of my lift and pulled my luggage up the ramp in the rain. So much for arriving cute and relaxed. It was about 5 45. My flight was scheduled for 6. Then another notification came through. Delayed until 6.20. Thank you, Lord. I made it through security, but we didn't board until around 6.40 because we were waiting for a flight attendant. Get that. Still, I was doing the math. I thought if I could make that, I thought I thought that I could still make that 9.30 connection. Then the captain announced that we would be taking off at 7.15. I slumped in my seat. I shed a tear. I was texting my husband, trying to figure out what to do and praying, Lord, please let that connecting flight be delayed just a little. Because right now, with 7.15 taking off, I was gonna miss the connecting flight at 9.30. So as we landed in Chicago around 9.25, I got the notification that I had been hoping for. My connecting flight was now leaving at 9.48. I thought I have a chance. Except we had to wait to reach the gate. We had to wait to open the gate. We had to wait to get off the plane. And I needed to get from concourse B to concourse C. By the time I was racing through the airport, it was around 9.42. I got there and I missed it. By about five minutes, I cried. After all that, the airport changed, the traffic, walking in the rain, the delays. I still missed it. I called my mom upset, started preparing myself to spend the night in the airport. The airline had put me on an early flight that would get me to Michigan around 8:30 in the morning, next morning. And then after about 10 minutes, I had another idea. What

The Overnight Ride That Scared Me

SPEAKER_00 6:18

if I booked a lift car to Grand Rapids? Now, this was going to be a long drive. It was late, and the ride was more than like 300 bucks. But I wanted to get there that night, so I booked it. It was about, I think, about three-hour drive. Yeah. Around 11:15 p.m., I got into an SUV with a highly rated driver, mind you. He was an older gentleman from India. We had a little difficulty communicating at times, but he was so friendly and gracious. And off we went driving. About an hour into the drive, he asked if I wanted to listen to music. I said, sure. Well, this music was like a rave mix. I think I heard about five songs over the next two hours because it just kept repeating itself. Like, like, you know, it was funny, like massive rave music, and it's like one o'clock in the morning, but it's all good. But I thought, you know, hey, this is keeping you company as you drive, so let it play. Then things, then things got a little concerning. It was dark, it was raining. We were driving through an area that looked like nothing but trees and forest. I noticed my driver sitting upright severely and repeatedly wiping sweat from his face and neck. Then he pulled over. On the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, raining. My heart sank. Every possible thought ran through my mind. Was something going? Was something wrong with the car? Was he sick? Was it safe? Like all these things. He told me everything was okay. He stepped outside of the vehicle for a few seconds, maybe like five or six seconds, and then got back in. I kept asking if he was all right. He kept saying yes and apologizing for stopping. But he didn't look well to me. I was worried. But then my sister-in-law had called me because I had shared the ride with her on the app and she noticed we had stopped. She was praying for me too. I told her I was okay. We got back in the car, we were driving. Do you know? Um, does anybody know? Probably people know this, but the Carrie Underwood song, Jesus Take the Wheel. That was my prayer over and over again. Lord, take the wheel, let us get there. Because this man is sick. I turned on even a Seinfeld, the show Seinfeld on my iPad, hoping to distract myself. It was the episode where George Costanza tells the story about being a marine biologist. If you know, you know the episode. It's hilarious. I'm laughing at George and nearly crying at the same time with my situation. Then the rain got heavier. The road got, you know, just less you could you couldn't see anything on the road with the rain. And then I noticed an engine light came on on the dashboard of his car. I said, Lord, please. I kept watching the time. 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes till my destination. Finally, around 4 a.m., we pulled up to the hotel. Thank you, Lord. And when I got out, the driver apologized again and again, stopping for stopping and you know, getting out of the car, the weather, the whole thing. I told him it was okay and encouraged him to get some rest. I went upstairs and there was my sister-in-law. We hugged, we laughed a little bit. I had finally made it. And yes, we attended the tour and had the best time. When I met Jean Stoffer and I told her about my trip, she even hugged me. Jean, you were so kind, and meeting you made already a special day even sweeter.

James 2 On Favoritism

SPEAKER_00 9:44

But when I thought about what to share with you today, I kept coming back to the driver. Some people who heard the story were upset with the driver a bit. They were concerned about what happened, and I understand that. And I was concerned too. But I also kept thinking about the person behind that steering wheel. I didn't know his name. I can't remember his name. I didn't know what was going on with his body that day. I didn't know what responsibilities were waiting for him at home. I wondered whether he needed the money or not. I couldn't, I couldn't know that for certain, but I knew he had agreed to a very long drive late at night. And I wanted to let leave, I wanted to, I guess I wanted to leave room for what I didn't know. That brought me to James, chapter two. And at the beginning of chapter two, James describes, you know, um, the story or like a gathering of a wealthy person receiving special treatment, while a poor person is treated as less important. And he calls that favoritism sin. Then in verse eight, it gives us the command, love your neighbor as yourself. It made me examine my own heart in this situation. I had traveled all the way to meet someone whose work I admire. I was excited to see her, listen to her, and tell her how much I appreciated her talent. But could I also give patience, respectful attention to the person helping me get there? That question stayed with me. Admiring someone's gift is natural, but a person doesn't need a beautiful business, a television show, or a name I recognize to deserve any kindness. And the driver's accent, occupation, or circumstances couldn't tell me his worth. He was my neighbor too. Now being frightened during the ride didn't make me prejudiced. It really did not. There were real things happening that concerned me at that moment. And compassion can include speaking up about safety and asking someone to stop or get help, or do you need help? That type of thing, of course. Just wanted to clear that up.

How Mercy Changes Our Responses

SPEAKER_00 11:56

But even in my concern, I could remember that he was a human being. I could ask, you know, are you okay? And are you do you need help? And and I meant it when I asked him those things. And the verse that especially stayed with me was James 2, 13. And in the New Living Translation, it says, There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you. I ask God for mercy all the time. When I lose patience, when I speak too quickly, um, when my thoughts are unkind about somebody, even if the world never leaves, even if the words never leave my mouth. I ask God to forgive me and help me grow, and he always does. This passage, James 2, um, makes me ask whether I'm willing to extend compassion when someone else is having a difficult moment. This this passage is challenging me to think that way. And when the ride ended during this trip, during that lift ride, I tipped that driver very, very well above above average and gave him five stars. And that was my own personal choice in that moment. Um, a tip or a rating isn't a measure of someone's, you know, faith. And being merciful doesn't require hiding a genuine concern. For me, it was like that tip and the rating thing, it was an opportunity for me to show appreciation for a person who had helped me get where I wanted to be. Money has been tight for us, but God recently blessed our family through my daughter's new school, which is free, and that gave us some breathing room and helped me make this trip possible. And being able to bless that man with that nice tip and reading, that's the least I could do with what was going on. I was just grateful to have something to share with that driver. And later he sent me a message through the app that said, Thank you very much. It was a small exchange, but I kept thinking about it. Since the birth of my daughter, you know, my faith has deepened. And one thing I keep asking God to change is how I treat people. Yes, I still sin, I still get frustrated. You have heard how much crying and worrying happened on this trip, but I want my faith to become visible in ordinary interactions, especially when I'm tired and disappointed or just frustrated. James also reminds us that breaking even one command or one commandment makes us accountable before God. I can't excuse my own wrongdoing by pointing to someone else's. Different sins can cause can cause, you know, different kinds of different kinds and degrees of harm, but comparing myself with someone else won't make my own sin disappear. I need forgiveness too. And in verse 12 of James 2 brings that accountability into words and actions, the freedom God gives us comes with a call to live differently. So when I confess my sin, I want to be willing to change. I've and if I've looked down on someone, I need to acknowledge that. And if I've treated someone as an inconvenience, I need to reconsider how I speak to them. If I've decided I know somebody's entire story based on one difficult interaction, I need to slow down. And this week I want us to ask ourselves who receives our patients? Who do we rush past? And whose story have we decided to understand without ever really listening? Maybe someone comes to your mind right now. For me, it does too. Ask God to help you see that person with humility, and you can address what needs to be addressed and still treat them with dignity. I went to god I went to Grand Rapids this weekend to look at beautiful kitchens and homes. I came home grateful for the tour, grateful for my sister-in-law, and still thinking about a man who kept apologizing in the middle of the night and was so sick. I'm thankful God continues to teach me through the people I meet. We can trust him when the itinerary changes. That doesn't mean every flight will connect or every journey will end the way we planned. But we can ask God to guide our response wherever we find ourselves. And we can show mercy along the way. Love you all. Let's

Prayer For Humility And Wisdom

SPEAKER_00 16:48

pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for the mercy you show us every day. Please forgive us for the times we have favored someone because of their status or overlooked someone we thought had less to offer. Help us to notice people around us and to treat them with dignity and kindness. When we are tired, disappointed, or afraid, Lord, give us wisdom. Give us patience. Help us respond honestly and with compassion. Remembering that we may not know the whole story. Show us the sin in our hearts and give us the humility to confess it, Lord, and change it. Lord, I pray for the man who drove me that night. You know his health, his needs, and his family. Please care for him and give him rest. Let our faith shape the way we speak and the way we act, Lord. We thank you for your love and your compassion. Help us to love our neighbors in the way that we actually feel, Lord, and we represent you. Father, we love you. Thank you so much for the study of James. In Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all. Till next time. Well,

Share Subscribe And Stay Connected

SPEAKER_00 17:51

that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feel if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessymorganhome.com or find me on Instagram at Jessimorganlife. Remember, God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him. Until next time, this is Jessie Morgan praying off.