James 2 - Love One Another Impartially

Introduction

Theme of James? Living up to your faith:

Embrace your trials - Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials

Ask God for wisdom sincerely - Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him

Celebrate your life wisely - Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, but let the rich boast in his humiliation

Face temptation knowingly - No one undergoing a trial should say, “I am being tempted by God,” since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone

Acknowledge God’s gifts graciously - Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows

Receive God’s word meekly - Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls

Practice your religion purely - Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world

Love one another impartially

Where do we see partiality in the world?

Hiring

Housing

College admissions

Jewish history (really, all nations - Mark Lehman)

“racism”

We will find though that loving others without partiality is a part of living up to our faith

1. Favoritism Demonstrated

James 2:1–4 CSB

1 My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

v.1 “brothers and sisters” - simply brothers, but well translated here

v.2 “your meeting” - synagogue, demonstrating the early nature of the book. Historical records (the Talmud) indicated that there were many synagogues in Jerusalem. Each may have hosted more than one congregation.

v.3 the behavior - partiality in treatment (almost hyperbole?)

v.4 the problem a) making distinctions (presumably invalid), and b) judging with evil thoughts (a judge who rules not based on right/wrong but based on class)

Other examples:

A missionary couple gets more donations when they have young children who sing

Someone who is divorced or separated gets peppered with questions when they visit a new church

2. God’s Perspective

James 2:5–7 CSB

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

A view of the poor that is too low

v.5 God’s view of the poor

Matthew 19:23–24 “23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.””

Matthew 5:3 “3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”

A view of the rich that is too high

v.6 “oppress you, drag you into court”

In that society there was not much of a middle class; the upper class was *very* rich while the lower class was *very* poor.

The rich landowner could take a debtor to court and seize his property; he could withhold wages (and what could the poor do?)

v.7 “blaspheme” - any slander that involves God, even indirectly—such as criticism directed against Christian behavior by other believers (1 Cor. 10:30; Rom. 14:16) or abuse heaped on believers by unbelievers over differences in morality

3. The Royal Law

James 2:8–11 CSB

8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

Favoritism is incompatible with the royal law

v.8 - What is the “royal law”? Jesus and the kingdom of heaven:

Matthew 22:35–40 CSB

35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

One commentator (Dickson) - royal status precisely because of its central place in the message of Jesus

Where is the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” found?

Leviticus 19:15–18 CSB

15 “Do not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly. 16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people; do not jeopardize your neighbor’s life; I am the Lord. 17 “Do not harbor hatred against your brother. Rebuke your neighbor directly, and you will not incur guilt because of him. 18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.

Note v.15!

v.10 “keeps the entire law” - vase illustration

4. Impartiality Required

James 2:12–13 CSB

12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

v.12 “speak and act” - a continuous tense (Moo): “be constantly speaking,” “always be acting.”

“law of freedom” - the law that gives freedom

“judgment is without mercy” - parable of the unforgiving servant, Matt 18:21-35

Matthew 18:34–35 “34 And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

So…is this a light thing?

v.13 “Mercy” - the same word found in the parable of the good Samaritan: Luke 10:36–37 “36 “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he said. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do the same.””

“Mercy triumphs over judgment” - (Moo) the mercy we show toward others shows our desire to obey the law of the kingdom and, indirectly therefore, of a heart made right by the work of God’s grace

Genuine faith means there’s progress, not perfection (study guide)

Discussion Questions

Why should we obey the command not to judge or show partiality as individuals? As a church community?

Why should Christians, above all others, be willing to look beyond the surface to see the heart?

How should what Christ did for us motivate us to live?

Why do we think treating others as “less than” is a less serious sin?

In what areas of our life are we tempted with the sin of favoritism?

How does showing prejudice and favoritism endanger our witness before a non-believing culture?