Walking through James (5)

Treating others with respect...

Last time, we looked at being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James went on to talk about pure religion. Tonight as we lead into the topic of treating each other with respect, I want to read the verses we closed with last time.

James 1:26–27 NIV

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The early church wasn’t looked on very highly by the world. Most of the people were not rich by the world’s standards. They didn’t have prestigious jobs. They came from humble circumstances.

Yet they had the temptation to look at those who were of a higher class and treat them better than a beggar that wandered into their church.

Let’s read tonight’s Scripture.

James 2:1–7 NIV

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

When the Bible was written, it wasn’t written chapter and verse like we know it today. That happened much later.

In 1227, Stephen Langton who was Arch Bishop of Canterbury did this, and it was the Wycliffe translation in 1382 that used this.

It was even later when all the chapter and verses were divided up. In 1448, the Old Testament was divided up by a Jewish Rabbi, whose name was Nathan. In 1555, Stephanus completed this task.

We take much of this for granted. I’m really thankful that they did this so when I quote a verse, you will know exactly where it’s found in your Bible. (Got Questions)

I said all this to say, when James wrote this letter, he went right from writing about taking care fo widows and orphans in their need to

Not showing Favoritism...

Another word for favoritism is partiality.

Acts 10:34–35 NIV

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

In the Gospels, Jesus told a story about a Pharisee and a tax-collector.

The Pharisee gave thanks to God that he wasn’t like the tax-collector, but the tax-collector couldn’t even look up but he beat his chest and cried out, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Peter was a Jew, and Jews knew that they were God’s chosen people, but God chose Peter to preach to a Roman centurion named Cornelius.

This showed Peter that God choses from all nations. God does not judge according to the colour of our skin. He doesn’t choose a man over a woman. He doesn’t choose the rich over the poor.

He is looking for those who will fear Him, honour Him, respect Him, those who are in awe of Him, and those who do what is right.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT)

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him...

If God doesn’t show favoritism, how should we treat other people?

Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In verses 2-3, James gives an example of how we can show favoritism.

He used

The rich vs the poor

He warned them about how quick we can be to invite the rich in and give them a good seat while at the same time not making the poor feel welcome.

I wonder if we think by treating a rich person well, we have something to gain.

Maybe they’ll put a lot in the offering plate… Maybe if I treat them well, I can gain an advantage.

If we treat some people better than others, we are sinning. We are miss the target.

When I was young in ministry, one Sunday night, there was a man that came into the church and sat near the back on the left-hand side. He was an Indigenous man. That was no big issue for me. I had grown up around many and went to school for a long time with Indigenous children.

There was just something about this man. It wasn’t his clothes. It wasn’t his smell. His skin was really bumpy. I don’t know if it was warts or just scars from acne, but it was hard to overlook.

I needed Jesus to do a work in me to look at this man the way that God saw him. He was from Pekangikum reserve in Northwestern Ontario. Maybe you have heard of it because there have been many suicides there.

When I was maybe 6-7, our family went down to Frontier Days at Wawota. That was the open house for the John Deere dealership that Dad used to frequent.

While there, there was a man that had a mis-shaped face and neck.

Mom had told us not to make faces or if the wind changed, they would stay that way.

I asked her if the wind had changed. She could have crawled into a hole.

We serve the God that doesn’t show favoritism.

The God of

John 3:16 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God isn’t pleased if we show favoritism to one person over another based on looks or a person’s wealth.

Why shouldn’t the rich sit on the floor and why not give the best seat in the house to the one who is poor?

Philippians 2:3–4 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

When we care for those in need, we are ministering to the Lord.

Matthew 25:31–40 NIV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

It’s the rich in faith

that please God.

James 2:5 NLT

Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?

We can never get a greater inheritance than Heaven. No matter whether we have a lot or a little, we need to be rich in faith. Whatever we have whether money, abilities, or even time. Let’s use it all for the glory of God.

The mindset of the world is “Me first.” God’s mindset spells “Joy.”

Jesus, Others, and You.

James gave three reasons why people who are rich in this world shouldn’t receive favoritism.

James 2:6–7 NIV

But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

“YOU CAN'T COME IN...”

There was once a town drunk who gave his heart to Jesus Christ. He immediately stopped drinking and began to look for a church and had purposed in his heart that he would attend the first church he found. Determined to turn his life around he found a church and went in. He was met at the door by a couple of ushers and they told the man, "Please go home and clean up, take a bath, cut your hair, shave your beard and then you can come back to church." The man left and did what they asked and came back to the same church the next week.

Once again, he was met at the door by the ushers. The former drunk said, "I have done what you asked, I am clean, my hair cut and combed, I am clean shaven and I am ready to come to church."

The ushers said to the man, "That is good but your clothes are dirty and torn up. Go get a suit so that you will look nice for church." A little sad, the man decided to do what they asked, after all this was the church he felt he was supposed to attend. So he went out and bought a nice suit, determined that this time they would let him in so he could worship God.

The next Sunday the former drunk returned to that same church but this time the man was met by the two ushers and the senior pastor. Together, the three of them explained to the man that he could not come into the church because of his past. How would it look if the town drunk came to their church? The man walked out of the church totally dejected because he desired to worship God in a house of worship with the men and women of God. He sat down on the steps in front of the church and put his head in his hands and began to cry.

As he sat there, he felt the hand of someone touch his shoulder. Before he could look up he heard a voice say, "Don't worry my friend, I have been trying to get into that church for years and they won't let me in either." The former drunk looked up and saw a man dressed in a white robe with nail pierced hands. Jesus wanted in that church too.

(From a sermon by Greg Carr, Sheep or Goat, 8/10/2011)

Let’s always keep Jesus as the center of our lives.

When Jesus is our focus, we will always care for those who need it.

Let’s be quick to invite others. Let’s be quick to serve others. Let’s be quick to love others.

Let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Let’s pray!