Favoritism
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We all probably have a story from somewhere in our lives where we thought someone was playing favorites. It might have been at home with us thinking our parents had a favorite sibling or maybe it was among a group of friends or maybe even in the workplace where someone perceived as the favorite was promoted ahead of you.
In some cases the favoritism was real and in some cases most likely only perceived by us.
There's a wonderful story about a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment house could not say enough about the young man. His father, they wrote, was a Cabot; his mother was a Lowell. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and other of Boston's first families. His recommendation was given without hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: "We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work." Neither is God a respecter of persons but accepts those from every family, nation, and race who fear Him and work for His kingdom (Acts 10:34-35). (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/favoritism.htm)
Today, we are going to be in the first half of James 2. As we get started this morning, I want to make a bold statement that will ground us for the remainder of this message and I pray in our Christian lives. There are to be no favorites in the church or in the Kingdom! We are all equal in the eyes of Christ - all human. What we bring to the table whether in knowledge, money, leadership, or something else are not grounds for us to play favorites ever in the church! All too often, I think we can show favoritism, sometimes without even realizing it.
The comments James makes in this passage are quite countercultural, even today. This culture of success and who has what still not only exists, but also demands that people of wealth and status are treated better, given a better place, a better seat, sometimes even in the church. James expounds on Paul’s words in
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 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.
3 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,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 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?
6 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?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
I also want to read this passage for us this morning in the Message version, as I think it help put some of James’ ideas into more plain language and can help our understanding.
1 My dear friends, don’t let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith.
2 If a man enters your church wearing an expensive suit, and a street person wearing rags comes in right after him,
3 and you say to the man in the suit, “Sit here, sir; this is the best seat in the house!” and either ignore the street person or say, “Better sit here in the back row,”
4 haven’t you segregated God’s children and proved that you are judges who can’t be trusted?
5 Listen, dear friends. Isn’t it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world’s down-and-out as the kingdom’s first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God.
6 And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn’t it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind?
7 Aren’t they the ones who scorn the new name—“Christian”—used in your baptisms?
8 You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: “Love others as you love yourself.”
9 But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it.
10 You can’t pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God’s law and ignoring others.
11 The same God who said, “Don’t commit adultery,” also said, “Don’t murder.” If you don’t commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you’re a murderer, period.
12 Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free.
13 For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.
There are some tough words for us Jesus followers in this passage of James. There’s also quite a bit to digest. Let’s start with the first four verses:
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.
2 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.
3 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,”
4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Have you ever witnessed something like this in the church? Tell account of new person - smelly and dirty clothes sat in back as service started and no one approached him or talked to him once that morning - even after service - only spoke to those they were friends with - showed favoritism or partiality.....
Culture in that day - very much about social status - even still that way today.
Encourages countercultural behavior
Cannot judge based on outward appearances - thus catering to the wealthy and humiliating the poor person
5 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?
6 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?
7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
Reference back to beatitude:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Dispora Jews (immigrants) would likely have been sued by the citizens of where they were to establish dominance over them
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.
9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,
13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
royal law points back to
15 “ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
Restorative justice - treating people equally - working for the betterment of others
Notice the turn back to the command to love......
murder - Jewish tradition associates murder with failure to care for poor
Conclusion - Three themes - Favoritism........the poor are rich in faith........the law of love
The Kingdom of God has no place for not treating people equally, fighting for restorative justice
Learnings from James 2:1-13 (from study guide)
1. Showing favoritism breaks the law of God because it does not treat everyone with equal dignity, and you are not loving your neighbor as you love yourself.
2. Showing favoritism for the purpose of gaining favor or position also breaks the law of God because it demonstrates judgment with evil thoughts.
3. Both Judaism and Christianity have stood with the poor, acknowledging that God has mercy on the powerless, and so should we.
4. It is difficult for the rich to recognize how their lives oppress the poor; James calls rich Christians to learn from the poor and not to expect privilege.
5. We are to live our lives according to Jesus’s interpretation of the law, which requires a transformation of the person, not legalism.
6. We should learn to be merciful because God was merciful to us in sending Jesus Christ as our Savior. Those who show mercy reveal that they belong to the merciful God.
