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James, from the standpoint of biblical phrases, coined the term Royal Law. Citing a couple of relevant verses, he said, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2.8-9).

It is my purpose as a writer to demonstrate that the Royal Law implies mercy. To state this another way, any and every person who understands and embraces the Royal Law is a person who is indeed merciful towards others. To state it in a negative manner, all people who do not have a disposition of mercy (i.e. they are not merciful), are persons who fail to understand and/or embrace the Royal Law. If it is true that the Royal Law implies mercy, and if being merciful is essential to the obtaining of mercy, then it follows that one must understand and embrace the Royal Law in order to obtain God’s mercy (i.e. be saved).

James did not invent the idea of loving neighbor as oneself; he just applied the phrase Royal Law to that concept. This law had been around for thousands of years. Moses codified this law as a part of His writings (see Leviticus 18.19). Jesus cited the law on at least one occasion during His earthly ministry (see Matthew 22.39) when He identified it as the second greatest commandment. Jesus further took it upon Himself to aid our understanding of this principle by defining the term neighbor. His definition is found in one of the better known (but perhaps one of the least understood) parables, that of the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10.30-37). The bottom line of Jesus’ definition of neighbor is this: Anyone who is in need and who I have the opportunity to help is my neighbor, period! Race, religion, gender, social status, politics, skin color, weight, age, build, height, etc., etc., have absolutely no bearing on the biblical definition of neighbor!

The Royal Law implies mercy if I myself want and need mercy! Imagine that you are on trial for a heinous crime that you readily admit that you committed; your plea is “Guilty as charged!” Having imagined that scenario, when given the chance to speak before the judge, what words will come out of your mouth if you value your life in the smallest manner. You know the phrase; you have heard it stated in many different settings. You next utterance will be, “I throw myself on the mercy of the court!” Why? Simply because your valuing of self (self-love if you will) demands that you ask for mercy. No right minded person would wish harm to him or herself; only good. Hence, even the guilty, no, especially the guilty beg for mercy.

Now transfer the scenario just posed into the spiritual arena. Suppose that you had to stand before the Judge of the universe and plead your case. Would any right minded person plead, “Not guilty”? Or would any hope for clemency demand that you admit your guilt and a subsequent throwing of oneself upon the mercy of the court? Of course, the latter is the case! The Royal Law implies mercy because a person’s love for him/her self cries out for mercy when punishment is sure. Now, comes the clincher, If I love myself and would want mercy for myself AND I love my neighbor as myself, wouldn’t I want mercy for him? If not, why not?

The Royal Law implies mercy. Those who fail to embrace the Royal Law are persons who do not truly understand our need as human beings for mercy. (Continued)

Questions:

1. Who first used the phrase “royal law”?

2. Who first wrote the principle of loving neighbor as self in the scriptures?

3. What question did Jesus answer by His telling of the Parable of the Good Samaritan?

4. If my love for self prompts me to cry for mercy, would my love for neighbor also prompt me to cry out for mercy on his behalf? If not, why not?

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

A Needy Man Calls Out for Help Jesus Responds and Answers