For such people the recompense cannot be fulfilled which they ask of God in the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Mt 6:12).
Since they did not forgive the debts of their brethren, neither will God forgive their debts.
For those who have been harsh and merciless toward the poor who are in need, the judgment of God will prove harsh and without mercy. As Gregory of Nyssa says, "The righteous judgment of God toward us is a likeness of our inward disposition" (Homily on the Maccabees).
"Mercy triumphs over judgment," because the Lord said of the merciful that they will obtain mercy on the day of judgment: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Mt 5:7).
If almsgiving to the poor intercedes for the forgiveness of sins for idolaters, as we read in the prophet Daniel, how much more does it forgive the sins of faithful Christians?
Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you. Redeem your sins by almsgiving and your iniquities by compassion for the poor" (Dan 4:24).
Almsgiving does another work as well. Before a contest, wrestlers anoint themselves with oil so they may slip away from the hands and holds of their opponent.
So also on the day of judgment, the almsgiving that we now give to the poor will enable us to slip away from the hands and holds of the demons.
It should also be known that a merciful man is not only one who performs the seven works of bodily mercy. These are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, care for and welcome strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, care for prisoners, and bury the dead.
A merciful man is also one who performs the seven works of spiritual mercy. These are to incline sinners to abandon sin, teach the ignorant what he himself knows about God and the faith, and give sound counsel to one who needs counsel.
They also include praying to God for one's brother, comforting the sorrowful, enduring failures and afflictions without complaint, and forgiving one's brother's transgressions.
I will also say briefly that the merciful man is one who has heartfelt and true love for his brethren. By love he is inclined to show mercy and compassion to his neighbor, so that he bears his burdens and is longsuffering toward him.
As Solomon says, "A merciful man is longsuffering" (Prov 19:11). Such a merciful man will certainly obtain mercy from the Lord on the day of judgment, as the divine James says here.
Saint Metrophanes says that the divine James speaks these words here to remind us of the Lord's sentence. He will pronounce it upon the merciless on the day of judgment.
"Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink.
"I was a stranger, and you did not take Me in. I was naked, and you did not clothe Me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me" (Mt 25:41-44).
The brother of the Lord says almost the same thing to Christians. Christian brethren, love your brethren. Visit widows and orphans. Show mercy to the needy and poor. Deliver the oppressed from unjust hands.
Do this so that you also may be shown mercy on the day of judgment, as the divine Gospel says, that is, the law of liberty. For if you do not show mercy to those in need, then you yourselves will not be shown mercy.
What does he mean by the phrase, "Mercy triumphs over judgment"? He means that almsgiving will have praise, and will stand against God's judgment as a conqueror. It will appear stronger than judgment.
It will clearly show the sentence pronounced against sinners to be without effect. For it will free from eternal torments the sinners who loved it.
Although they had sins, for its sake they were able to depart from sin and repent before death.
To such people the Judge will say, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
"For I was hungry, and you gave Me food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me in. I was naked, and you clothed Me.
"I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me," and so forth.
How then can mercy fail to triumph, when it conquers God's judgment and frees sinners from fearful torments? They were truly worthy of those torments for the sins they committed.
Saint Metrophanes says literally, "Every word of divine justice declared against every sin will be overcome, when interceding mercy is found in the faithful."
Therefore Sirach said, "Almsgiving will cleanse sins" (Sir 3:30). Tobit said, "For almsgiving delivers from death" (Tob 12:9). Solomon said, "A man's riches are the ransom of his soul" (Prov 13:8).
The divine David affirmed this, saying that the man who shows mercy will have boldness in his words at God's judgment: "A good man is compassionate and gives. He will order his words in judgment" (Ps 111:5).
This is because he will have almsgiving answering and interceding for him.
According to Cyril of Alexandria, the meaning is this: "See what rewards are laid up for the lover of mankind. The fruit remains continually and without ceasing. It delivers from temptations, and such a man walks in the light, because he has sought God.
"God is compassionate, so that a man receives forgiveness of transgressions and makes for himself a defender at the future Judgment. This is what 'He will order his words in judgment' means.
"That is, he will prepare for himself a defender and advocate. There will no longer be condemnation for such a man then. Almsgiving will answer for him for good" (from the unpublished series of the wise Nicetas on the Psalms).
Oecumenius interprets the word "triumphs" not as conquers, but as restrains or dulls.
It is worth noting that Basil the Great speaks in agreement with the saying, "Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy." He says, "You did not show mercy, and you will not be admitted into the Kingdom.
"You did not give bread, and you will not receive eternal life" (Homily to the Rich).
Gregory the Theologian also says, "If anyone has not given, let him not hope." And again, "As we measure out to others here, so the great God will give."
THEOSIS