Sermon Tone Analysis
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WHY PARTIALITY IS WRONG
When he was a student, the famous Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, considered becoming a Christian.
He read the Gospels and was moved by them.
It seemed to him that Christianity offered a solution to the caste system that plagued the people of India.
One Sunday, he went to a local church.
He had decided to see the pastor and ask for instruction on the way of salvation.
But when he entered the church, which consisted of white people, the ushers refused to give him a seat.
They told him to go and worship with his own people.
He left and never went back “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu” (from “Our Daily Bread,” [Feb., 1979]).
That tragic story illustrates the sin that James writes against in our text.
His focus is on the sin of showing favoritism to the rich and despising the poor, but his words apply to all types of prejudice, whether it is based on economic status, race, or anything else.
To favor some people and to disregard others based on outward factors is a terrible sin that plagued the early church in James’ day.
It has plagued the church in every generation, because it stems from pride and fear which are endemic to our fallen hearts.
One of the glories of the New Testament church is that we are a family that loves and values all peoples.
The makeup of the local church should baffle the world.
The world should not be able to explain how people of different races, economic and social levels, and age groups can come together in love and harmony.
James was very concerned that favoritism not be practiced or tolerated in the churches to which he wrote.
We learn from James 2:1 that
Favoritism is not compatible with the Christian faith.
This principle is rooted in the character of God, who does not show partiality, and who commands His people not to do so, either:
In verses 2-4 James gives an illustration of favoritism in the church.
Two men come into a church gathering (here called “synagogue,” reflecting their Jewishness).
One is obviously wealthy, as seen by his gold ring and fine clothes.
The other is obviously poor, as seen by his shabby clothes.
Someone in the church directs the wealthy man to the best seat in the house, whereas the poor man is told to stand out of the way, or to sit down on the floor.
Deference is paid the rich man because of his wealth, but the poor man is met with disdain because of his poverty.
Such treatment, James says, is evil.
Why?
Because in showing preferential treatment to the rich, we act contrary to Christ.
In favoring the rich we act contrary to Christ.
When our Lord came to the earth at His incarnation, He came to heal the sick and to save the lost; He came to those who were needy.
Listen to Isaiah the Prophet’s description of Messiah’s ministry:
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus blessed:
If we discriminate against the poor, we humiliate those whom God has chosen to bless.
To discriminate against the poor and to favor the rich is to act in a way that is contrary to our Lord.
In favoring the rich we act contrary to Christ.
In verses 6b and 7, James further explains that to show partiality toward the rich flies in the face of their experience and common sense.Favoring the rich is contrary to all good reason.
Favoring the rich is contrary to all good reason.
James 2:6–7 (ESV)
6 Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Hebrews 10 describes their persecution at the hands of the rich.
The rich were quick to drag them into court.
They could afford the legal costs and could also influence the outcome of the trial.
As a rule, the rich were not a friend to the Jewish saints; they were their enemy.
Why, then, would anyone show favoritism to their opponents?
And if this personal abuse were not enough, the rich were also those who were blaspheming the name of Jesus.
Favoring the rich is contrary to all good reason.
In verses 8-11 James emphasizes that favoring the rich violates God’s law.
Favoring the rich violates God’s law.
In verse 8, James acknowledges that not all congregations were guilty of favoring the rich.
Some congregations were fulfilling God’s law to love their neighbor as themselves.
Their neighbors included the wealthy and the poor.
We must love our neighbors with the same level of concern and care that we have for ourselves.
But in addition to meaning that we must love our neighbors and ourselves equally, James insists that we must love each of our neighbors equally, not treating one neighbor better than another.
To favor the rich and to disrespect the poor is to break God’s law.
And to break God’s law in this one matter is to become a violator of the whole law.
These Jews to whom James wrote were no doubt scrupulous in keeping other parts of the law, but James says that this is of no value if the law is broken in this matter of favoring the poor.
Thus, we may not be guilty of breaking the law by committing adultery, but if we murder, then we are lawbreakers anyway.
To break the law at one point is to break the whole law.
Those who favor the rich over the poor violate God’s law.
If favoring the rich violates God’s law it’s no surprise that those Christians who do so will be rebuked at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
James 2:12-13 tells us...
Favoring the rich will be rebuked at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
If we do not show mercy to people who are in need, then we should not expect Jesus to be merciful to us in our day of judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
But if we show mercy to others, we ourselves will be treated with mercy on the day of our judgment.
What have we learned from James 2:1-13?
The general principle is that favoritism or partiality of any kind is not compatible with the Christian faith.
Favoritism is not compatible with the Christian faith.
In favoring the rich we act contrary to Christ.
Favoring the rich is contrary to all good reason.
Favoring the rich violates God’s law.
Favoring the rich will be rebuked at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Favoritism or partiality as it is called in the text of any kind is not compatible with our faith.
In this historical case it was showing partiality to the rich over the poor.
But making value judgments between people based on race, socio-economic status, education, gender or any other external criteria is not compatible with Biblical Christianity.
Every person is of intrinsic value because every person is created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)
Every person is of intrinsic value because Christ died to redeem every person.
WHY PARTIALITY IS WRONG
May we live out these truths both individually and corporately by doing good to those in our sphere of influence black, brown or white, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, male or female.
May we bring healing where the sin of partiality has brought hurt.
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