The Sin of Partiality

Attention: What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

If you’re unfamiliar with the Bible you have more than likely heard the phrase “Good Samaritan.”

This phrase traces back to a parable given by Jesus, where we have a man injured on the side of the road, passed up by the religious elite of his own society.

Eventually a Samaritan comes by, takes the man to a local inn, and pays for him to be taken care of.

Samaritans were seen as scum, and this why Jesus used the example.

He did so to illustrate that being a good neighbor was contingent your heart, and that faithfulness to God is first and foremost a heart issue.

It is this very same issue that we see in the church today.

Need: Within the church there is all to often the practice of partiality. We care and honor those who meet the qualifications we deem necessary, and we dishonor the rest. (Can be economic, ethnicity, personality, background, and gender)

This is done all the while people self-righteously pat themselves on the back for being a good neighbor while they may turn a blind eye to the one who most needs them.

Favoritism is not only wrong, but it is completely antithetical to the gospel and the character of God.

Text Idea/Sermon Idea/Interrogative: It is in dealing with this sin, that James examines a specific form of partiality, showing why Christians must abstain from it.

Transition: In order to do so, he provides a concrete example of partiality, along with three reasons why it is to be avoided.

James 2:1-13

V. 1: The Command

We see James lead in with the same term of endearment he has employed all throughout the letter.

The command is simple, if you are a Christian don’t be partial.

It is from here James provides his concrete example.

V.2-4: The Example of Partiality

V. 2- James paints the picture of two completely different men.

One adorned in the finest apparel, with a gold ring possibly signifying a person of high social status.

The other a poor man in shabby clothes, a poverty stricken commoner.

V. 3- From the image he goes on to describing how the person of status is placed with such care, while the shabby dressed man is dishonored.

One man is given the best seat in the house, while the other is put on the ground.

Neither have done or said anything thus far, and it is for this reason James indicts them.

V. 4- He indicts the people, pointing to this may be similar to a real occurence in the church he is writing to, that when they choose to elevate and demote people on external factors they elevate themselves to the place of judge.

There is one judge who chooses to elevate and demote.

When we act this way we are essentially usurping God as judge.

These people in the story are described as evil because they are using wordly standards to decide who they care for, thus they are being guided by evil thoughts.

Modern example: Joe Rogan vs. homeless man.

Flock to Rogan because of his wealth and influence, even though he consistently ridicules Christianity.

You may think that is a ridiculous statement, but how often do you do it?

It may not be so extreme but how often do you turn a blind eye to the homeless.

How often do you see someone new here and purposely avoid them to go shake the same hands you always do.

How often do you avoid a bible study because so and so is in there.

It may not be a celebrity, but everyone of us are guilty of partiality, and so now we turn our attention to James arguments against it.

V. 5- 6a: Reason #1- God’s Tender Mercy for the Poor

Let’s first remember the early church demographic.

Much of the early church were from the poorer classes.

Seen as the undesirables of society, God called many who were poor and though they lacked financially, they were rich in faith as they were made members of His Kingdom.

Two notes: this doesn’t mean that God forgives every poor person, and it doesn’t exclude rich people from the kingdom.

The point that should be drawn from here is that God cares for those who are the lowest common denominator of their society, thus we ought to as well.

We can again turn to Jesus as our example, as He so often cared for those who were the lowest of the low in their world. (Woman at the Well, the Prostitute, the Leper)

So, if this is the heart of God for these people, who are we to be any different?

We must also be tenderhearted toward those in need. We must be willing to care and minister to people from every background, not just the people who look and talk just like me.

So reason 1 is God’s heart for the poor, from here James will look at the other side of this favoritism.

V. 6b-7: Reason #2- Inconsistency with Favoring the Rich

The brunt of James point here is why are you catering so much to someone who is really just tearing you down.

He lists three things:

Oppression- often times it was the higher ranked within social classes who would persecute Christians. Whether Roman elite or Jewish leader. Not only this but it would appear that he had in mind rich landlords who would torment the impoverished Christians.

We see this in the second action, they would drag them to courts. Again either for fines or for persecution.

Third, they would blaspheme Christ.

These Christians would cater so much attention to catering to blasphemers.

For many of us this may seem like a far off example, but how often do we devote our time, attention, and even praise to someone who actively speaks against God.

Think about the major celebrities we exalt nowadays.

Music (Taylor Swift)

Athletes

Politicians

We as believers must be so vigilant to guard ourselves against the severe celebritism that plagues our world.

Thus, we have seen so far that we are to care for the poor like God, and we have seen how worship and favor for the powerful is inconsistent to our Christian life.

We turn now to James final reason.

V. 8-13: Reason #3- Scriptural Arguments for Impartiality

V. 8 James begins his argument by referencing the same passage that Jesus said sums up the Old Testament when paired with Deut. 6.

If you truly love your neighbor as yourself then you are fulfilling all the one anothers.

V. 9- However if you show partiality you are breaking this law and are thus a transgressor.

James is beginning to show here how seriously God takes this sin.

V. 10-11- We may be tempted to minimize something like this but what James is making clear here is that if you break this law you are just as much a transgressor as if you break any other law.

It doesn’t do you much good to speak about how faithful you were to your spouse at a murder trial, and as relieved as your spouse may be that you’re not a murderer it doesn’t make you innocent if you cheated on them.

Thus, you and I, are guilty before God because of our partiality.

For the reality is we have all been partial or unfair in one way of another. We are all guilty of this sin.

It is from this understanding though that we can now see exactly how a Christian ought to fight to abstain from partiality.

V. 12- Through Christ we are to operate in a state of grace.

We will one day give an account, and we act as if we will be judged for we were saved unto good works.

My salvation results in a new life, one under the law of liberty where I seek to kill the old way.

It is from here that James concludes with a warning and an encouragement.

V. 13- Those who never repent of their partiality and unmerciful attitude have judgement awaiting them, for they show that they have not experienced the grace of Christ.

For the believer, we have the exhortation to show mercy. For, as we show mercy, we display the mercy given to us, and are able to live as salt and light in this world.

So, where do we go from here?

Examine your heart and see where partiality lies.

Understand the heart God has for the outcast and seek to follow his example.

Beware of elevating people based off of worldly standards.

Push toward impartial love, knowing your place is secure if you are in Christ.