Well, good morning, church.
Wherever you may be, we invite you to turn in the Bible to James chapter 2.
James chapter 2, verses 1 through 13.
Let me read these verses for us this morning.
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly,
and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,
and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say,
you sit here in a good place,
while you say to the poor man, you stand over there, or sit down at my feet.
Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my beloved brothers.
Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom,
which he has promised to those who love him?
But you have dishonored the poor man.
Are not the rich the ones who oppress you and the ones who drag you into court?
Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
If you really fulfill the royal law, according to the scripture,
you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well.
But if you show partiality, you are committing sin
and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
For he who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder.
If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy.
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Let's pray.
Father, we pray that you would speak to us through these words that you inspired James to write so long ago through your spirit.
Help me as I proclaim your word.
Help each of us in our different locations as we listen and take to heart what you have to say for us today.
May you be glorified.
May your spirit do his work.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, one of the things my family and I have enjoyed doing together recently is cooking.
We've tried some new recipes over the last several weeks and the results have generally been quite satisfying.
On Mother's Day, which happened to be our wedding anniversary, our older children, Nathan and Grace, wanted to make breakfast for us on their own.
Without us present in the kitchen at all.
We were a bit nervous at first, but they did a great job.
Now, when we're all cooking together, our two-year-old, Hannah, likes to mix the pancake batter or the scrambled eggs or whatever is in the bowl on the counter.
She can be quite engaged, but like any other two-year-old, she also needs to be carefully watched.
So that she doesn't take some chili powder and add it to the pancake batter or dump the coffee grounds into the scrambled eggs.
Right?
In order to be successful in cooking, you need to have good ingredients in good proportions and you need to carefully avoid and resist anything that would spoil or contaminate the batter.
Now, in the same way, to be healthy and growing as Christians, we need to mix together healthy proportions of God's word and prayer, of solitude and fellowship, of humble confession and thankful praise.
Those kinds of things will make for good spiritual nourishment.
But in the passage we just read, James is concerned that his people have added something bad to the mix.
Added something that will spoil their spiritual nourishment.
Don't combine faith with favoritism, he says.
The ESV translates it partiality.
So this morning, I want us to look at our passage in three parts.
First, what is favoritism?
Or partiality in verses 1 to 4.
Second, why favoritism can't be combined with faith in Jesus Christ, verses 5 to 11.
And third, the Christian alternative to favoritism.
So first, what exactly is favoritism?
Literally, verse 1 can be translated,
Do not in favoritisms.
The word is actually plural, indicating that there are many different expressions or ways of showing,
favoritism, do not in favoritisms hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
But then James goes on to give one very specific and colorful illustration of favoritism in verses 2 and 3.
A man wearing a gold ring, literally gold fingers, with bright, clean, fine clothing,
walks into church, and a poor person in shabby, smelly, filthy clothing also comes in.
And the usher at the door, or whoever might be greeting them,
immediately pays special attention to the well-dressed, wealthy man,
and makes sure that he has a good, comfortable, honorable seat,
but rudely tells the second guy to stand in the corner or sit on the floor.
Now, we don't know whether this exact scenario had actually happened in a first-century Christian meeting,
and James had heard about it, and he was addressing it.
But it is evident that James was not just giving a hypothetical example here.
He was concerned about a real and serious pattern of favoritism
that was manifesting itself in one way or another within the Christian community.
Verse 6, he says,
You have dishonored the poor man.
And for James, this was a very serious concern.
In verse 4, he says,
You've made distinctions among yourselves.
Now, that could also be translated,
You have wavered within yourselves,
or you have become inconsistent within yourselves.
It's the same verb that appeared in chapter 1, verse 6,
and is translated there, doubt.
And as we talked about back then,
that it has this idea of being double-minded,
being driven and tossed by the winds.
And as we said earlier,
a double-minded person is not just somebody who has unanswered questions or troubled emotions.
A double-minded person has divided loyalties.
A double-minded person is not steadfast in their love for God.
James is calling us in his epistle here
to steadfast love for the Lord who steadfastly loves his people.
And so James says,
I mean, if we think about it,
what would motivate people,
what would motivate us
to pay special attention to the rich
and overlook or dishonor the poor?
Well, I mean, think about it.
If you know or if you see somebody who seems wealthy,
powerful, popular, athletic, beautiful, smart, suave,
you might think,
I want to connect with that person.
I want to become part of that person's social network.
They could benefit me.
Or you might be intimidated by them.
You might think,
well, I better make sure to stay on their good side
because I don't want to get on their bad side.
On the other hand,
if you see somebody
and in your assessment,
they seem poor, powerless,
unpopular, ugly, smelly, awkward,
you might tend to avoid them
and look the other way.
You might think,
maybe that person doesn't have much to offer me
except for their problems.
I'd rather avoid them.
And you know, often this happens very often
and often it happens almost subconsciously
we don't even realize what's going on.
We don't even sort of express those thoughts in our own head.
We just instinctively turn away
or instinctively fix our attention.
Of course, this can happen in person.
This can happen on social media.
This can happen in all kinds of contexts.
And James says this is a very serious issue.
He says you've become judges with evil thoughts.
In other words,
you've been thinking and reasoning
and coming to conclusions
that are inconsistent with your faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
You're not seeing people the way God sees them.
You're not treating people the way God treats them.
You're making judgments according to worldly
or selfish standards
that don't match up with God's.
Now, according to the Bible,
there are appropriate and godly reasons
to honor certain people in distinctive ways.
For example,
husbands and wives are commanded
to show special honor to one another
and to give special priority
to pursuing and maintaining
and growing in their marriage covenant.
And sometimes that might mean
drawing back for a time
or saying no to some other opportunities
or limiting some other relationships.
Children are commanded,
honor and obey your parents.
Right?
It's appropriate for children
to pay more attention to their parents
than to anyone else in the world.
And it's right for adult children
to continue honoring their parents
by, among other things,
seeing that they're cared for
in their old age,
according to their needs,
even if in some cases
that calls for sacrifices.
God's people,
as God's people were instructed
to honor the governmental authorities
as they carry out
their God-ordained role in the world,
as well as honor church elders
who lead and teach God's people faithfully.
We should also honor elderly members
of the church in particular ways.
1 Timothy 5, 1 and 2 says,
don't rebuke an older man,
but encourage him as you would a father.
Treat younger men as brothers,
older women as mothers,
younger women as sisters,
in all purity.
Right?
In the family of God,
we honor one another
in distinctive ways.
Paul indicates that we rightly
honor men and women in the church
not by pretending
that we are all identical
in every way,
but by appropriately recognizing
and honoring one another's
distinctive gifts and contributions.
So the Bible isn't saying
that we should never honor anyone
in any distinctive ways.
I mean, for one example,
if an elderly person with a cane
walks into the room,
you better make sure
they have the best seat
and ask somebody else to move
or you move if you need to.
Right?
What the Bible is,
what James is warning us against
is favoritism.
And we might define that
as honoring some people
and dishonoring others
for ungodly
and self-serving reasons.
And in this passage,
James is particularly concerned
about favoritism
that dishonors
the poor and vulnerable.
Now, of course,
it is possible to do the opposite,
to dishonor the rich
and unjustly favor the poor.
Leviticus 19.15,
which we had read out earlier for us,
says,
You shall not be partial to the poor
or defer to the great,
but in righteousness
you shall judge your neighbor.
Right?
There's equal justice before the law
back in Leviticus.
And so it's possible
to express resentment
toward everyone
who is wealthy
or more privileged
than we in some way or other.
That's not a godly thing.
It's possible to dismiss
the perspective
of anyone
who hasn't had
the same troubles
as we might have.
And those are attitudes
to resist.
But James' primary concern
was not that people
would unjustly
favor the poor
and dishonor the rich.
Right?
In most times
and most places,
the far more prevalent
temptation
is
to favor the rich
and dishonor the poor.
To favor those
who are privileged
or have all kinds of
benefits in many ways
and to dishonor people
who are poor
or more vulnerable.
And that's why
over and over
the Bible
specifically commands
God's people
along with
specifically saying
that
husbands and wives
should honor each other,
children should honor
their parents,
we should honor
governmental authorities
and church leaders.
The Bible specifically
commands us
to honor
the poor
and vulnerable
and show particular care
and concern
for their well-being.
Just a few examples.
Deuteronomy 10,
17-19
For the Lord your God
is God of gods
and Lord of lords,
the great,
the mighty,
and the awesome God
who is not partial
and takes no bribe.
God executes justice
for the fatherless
and the widow
and loves the sojourner
giving him food
and clothing.
Love the sojourner
therefore
for you are sojourners
in the land of Egypt.
Or Proverbs 14, 31
Whoever oppresses the poor
shows contempt
for their maker
but whoever is kind
to the needy
honors God.
Or consider Jesus' own words.
When you give a banquet
Jesus says
invite the poor,
the crippled,
the lame,
the blind
and you will be blessed.
There's not a corresponding
verse where Jesus says
when you give a party
make sure to invite
people who are healthy
and wealthy
and wise.
Right?
He knows we'll do that already.
No, he says
make sure
to include
and invite
and celebrate.
Right?
Not just sort of
give aid
but to celebrate
with people
who are poor
and vulnerable.
Now why does God
specifically remind us
to do this
because these are
the people
who are most
in danger
of being dishonored
and mistreated
and overlooked
in this world.
And God wants us
his people
to express
his particular care
for the poor
and vulnerable
so that
they know
that God
has not
forgotten
them.
Now in our church
I can think of
several examples
of people
who are actively
showing care
and concern
and honor
for one another
and looking out
for each other
in the ways
that we might
be vulnerable.
Just this past week
someone who was
homeless not too long
ago said to me
I'm thankful
that our church
really cares
and reaches out.
Brothers and sisters
let's continue
doing that.
Let's not become
weary
in doing good.
Now before we go
on to the next
point
I also want
to say that
in this passage
about favoritism
we see that
James is speaking
to the same
issues
in the first
century
on perhaps
a smaller scale
that our nation
has been dealing
with
and that have
erupted
this week
on a large scale.
Many people
feel that they
have been
dishonored
overlooked
mistreated
and far
worse
for a long
time.
George Floyd
was only
the most
recent
example.
Favoritism
has a long
history
in the United
States
and many
twisted effects
and it's not
just a black
and white
issue
even though
that's perhaps
the relationship
that goes
back
farthest
in history.
It's right
to lament
and to listen
and to pray
and to seek
justice.
How can we
as the church
be a redemptive
presence
in these
troubled
times?
As we've
said earlier
we should
certainly
pray for
peace
and lament
the destruction
and violence
that has erupted
in many cities.
We should pray
for those
in authority
and honor
the authorities
God has
established.
Pray for the
law enforcement
officers
who face
a hard
task
on a daily
basis.
But you know
if
speaking to
some of us
like me
some of us
might just
want to
duck
put our heads
down
and sort of
wish this never
happened
and avoid
talking about it
because it's
uncomfortable
to talk about
race
and it raises
all kinds
of
difficult emotions
and tough
questions.
But the
question James
raises here
is how do
we honor
one another?
And how do
we look out
how do we
listen to
one another?
Listen to
those who
might particularly
be mourning
or lamenting.
James calls
us here to
examine our
own hearts.
And to
take active
steps by
the power
of the
Holy Spirit
to love
our neighbors
as ourselves
and to
seek to
be a
redemptive
and justice
seeking and
healing presence
in this world
by the power
of the Holy
Spirit.
Let's pray
that we
might be
able to
move in
that direction
by God's
grace.
So that's
what favoritism
is.
Honoring
some people
and dishonoring
others for
ungodly and
selfish reasons.
And James
is concerned
about that.
Right?
Not just
when it
erupts into
a national
crisis but
just when it
happens on
a day-to-day
basis and
when it
manifests the
self-serving
attitudes of
our own
hearts.
So first,
that's what
favoritism is.
Second,
James shows us
why faith
in Christ
and favoritism
can't be
combined.
Verses 5
through 11,
James gives
us three
reasons why
we as
believers in
the Lord
Jesus Christ
must resist
and avoid
favoritism.
Verse 5,
he says,
favoritism is
contrary to
the character
of God.
Has not
God chosen
those who
are poor
in the
world to
be rich
in faith
and heirs
of the
kingdom
which he
has promised
to those
who love
him?
Now,
just to be
clear,
James does
not say
here that
God has
chosen all
poor people
or only
poor people
to be part
of his
kingdom.
At the
end of
chapter 2,
James refers
to Abraham
who was
quite wealthy
and powerful
as well as
Rahab who
seems to
have been
poor and
relatively
poor and
powerless
and both
of them
are examples
of genuine
faith.
But James
was acknowledging
the fact,
the undisputed
fact,
that the
vast majority
of the early
Christians were
relatively poor.
I mean,
the vast
majority
of people
in society
back then
were poor
and that
was true
in the
church as
well.
Some
well-educated
pagans
mocked the
early Christians
for this
very reason.
They said,
how could
Christianity
be the
true religion
if it
appeals to
so many
people who
lack formal
education like
slaves and
women and
children?
But James
wasn't ashamed
of that fact.
James says,
God himself
has delighted
to bestow
spiritual riches
and everlasting
honor upon
people who
the world
despises and
dishonors upon
everyone who
loves the
Lord.
And the
apostle Paul
said the same
sort of thing
in 1 Corinthians
1.
He says,
not many of
you,
remember he
says,
not many of
you are
wise according
to worldly
standards.
Not many
were powerful.
Not many
were of noble
birth.
But God
chose what
is foolish
in the world
to shame
the wise.
God chose
what is weak
in the world
to shame
the strong.
God chose
what is low
and despised
in the world
even things
that are not
to bring to
nothing things
that are.
So that no
human being
might boast
in the presence
of God.
You see,
all the qualities
that might
attract us,
that we might
be tempted
to pay
attention to
people for
the wrong
reasons,
being wealthy,
being powerful,
being popular,
being athletic,
being beautiful,
being smart,
being suave,
none of those
qualities will
get anybody
any closer
to entering
the kingdom
of God.
The only
way to get
in is to
humble ourselves
and to
recognize our
spiritual poverty,
our desperate
need for God
and his mercy.
That's why
Jesus'
Beatitudes
begin with
the word,
blessed are
the poor
in spirit,
for theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven.
James says,
if God delights
to honor the
poor,
so should we.
So,
favoritism is
contrary to
the character
of God.
That's the
first reason
why faith
and favoritism
can't be
mixed together
or combined.
In verses
6 to 7,
he gives us
a second
reason.
He says,
favoritism is
practically foolish.
James is
speaking to his
people.
He says,
think about
the people
who are
causing you
trouble,
dragging you
into court,
persecuting you
for being
Christians.
It's not the
poor who are
causing you
trouble.
By and large,
it's the
rich.
Now,
once again,
James is not
saying that
all rich
people are
evil,
he's painting
with broad
brush strokes.
But he's
saying,
think,
why are you
paying special
attention and
giving special
honors to
people who are
treating you so
badly?
They are not on
your side.
You won't be able
to satisfy them
no matter how
nice of a seat
you give them.
God.
Now,
we should not
mistreat our
enemies.
Jesus taught
us to love
our enemies,
to do good
to those who
hate us,
to pray for
those who
persecute us,
and to
persevere in
doing those
things.
You know,
it's possible
to become
excessively
focused on
trying to
please hostile
or unreasonably
demanding people
who may never
like us,
respect us,
or appreciate
us in the
end.
And the
problem with
that is in
the process of
trying to
please other
people who
we're really
being intimidated
by, we're
not actually
doing it out
of love,
we're doing it
primarily out
of intimidation,
we neglect
other people
who won't
demand our
attention,
but who
would greatly
benefit from
it.
So James
warns us that
favoritism is
practically foolish.
It's contrary
to the character
of God,
it's practically
foolish,
and third,
it's a violation
of God's
law.
Verses 8 to
11,
Jesus taught
us that at
the heart
of God's
law is
his command
to love.
First,
to love
God with
all our
heart and
soul and
mind and
strength.
James referred
to that command
already in
verse 5 and
in chapter 1
verse 12,
but here he
quotes the
second part
of that
command,
love your
neighbor as
yourself.
love.
And he
says favoritism
transgresses
that very
command to
love that
is at the
heart of
God's law.
And it's
not just a
minor issue
that can be
simply overlooked.
Verse 10,
James says,
God's moral
law is not
just a bunch
of separate
and disconnected
commands that
we can pick
and choose
which ones
we like.
God's moral
law is a
unified whole
because it's
an expression
of God's
own steadfast
and undivided
character.
It's like a
pane of glass.
If you break
one part of
it,
you've broken
it.
You've broken
the whole thing.
One commentator
said,
we cannot
excuse the
sin of
favoritism
by pointing
to the
rest of
the good
that we
do
because sin
is not
simply
balanced
against
good.
It must
be confessed
and forgiven.
So favoritism
is contrary
to God's
character.
It's
practically
foolish
and it
violates
God's
law.
That's
why James
says it
must not
be combined
with faith
in the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
So we've
seen what
favoritism
is,
why it
can't
and must
not be
combined
with faith
in the
Lord Jesus,
but what
is the
alternative?
Verses 12
James
concludes
by pointing
us to
the
Christian
alternative.
Now I
think
that many
of us
might expect
James to
say
something
like
instead
of showing
favoritism
show
fairness
by treating
everyone
equally.
Now
fairness
and equality
are good
ideals
to pursue.
The
Apostle
Paul
2 Corinthians
8,
13,
and 14
appealed
to this
very
principle
of
fairness.
He says
as a
matter
of
fairness
your
abundance
at the
present
time
should
supply
their
need
so that
their
abundance
may in
turn
supply
your
need
that
there
may
be
fairness.
So
fairness
and equality
is a
good ideal
to pursue
but it
actually
doesn't
go deep
enough
all by
itself.
The
principle
of fairness
is right
and helpful
but in
this fallen
and complicated
world
it's not
always
clear
how to
apply
that.
And so
James appeals
to an
even
more deeply
Christian
principle
that's at
the heart
of the
gospel.
Mercy.
Instead of
simply calling
us to show
fairness
instead of
showing
partiality
James calls
us to
show
mercy
as God
has shown
mercy
to us.
Now
verses 12
and 13
are a bit
cryptic
they're
short
and pithy
but there
are a couple
of key
phrases
that can
help us
understand
his point
especially
the phrase
the law
of liberty
in verse
12.
So speak
and so act
as those
who are to
be judged
under the
law of
liberty.
What law
is James
referring to
there you
might ask?
Now notice
in verses
9 through
11
James referred
to the
law.
Plain and
simple.
And in
that context
he's quoting
from the
Old Testament
referring to
the moral
law of
God
recorded
in the
Old Testament.
And he
says there
if we
transgress
even one
command
we've
violated
the whole
thing.
And so
the Old
Testament
law by
itself
convicts
us of
sin
but all
by itself
it does
not
liberate
us
from
sin.
But then
in verse
12
he says
so speak
and so
act
as those
who are
to be
judged
under
the
law
of
liberty.
It could
even be
translated
the
liberating
law.
You see
the law
of liberty
seems to
be something
different
or at least
something
additional
to the
Old Testament
law.
It's not
just the
Old Testament
law.
And if we
look back
at chapter
1 verse
25 where
James already
used this
phrase
he uses
the phrase
the perfect
or completed
or fulfilled
law
the law
of liberty.
What is
this
perfect
completed
law
the
liberating
law?
Well it's
what James
has already
talked about
as the
word
of truth.
The
implanted
word
of God
that is
able to
save
our
souls.
The
law
of God
that has
been
fulfilled
by
and in
the
person
of
Jesus
Christ
the
glorious
Lord.
the
law
of God
that's
now
written
on our
hearts
under
the
new
covenant
under
which
God
has
promised
to
forgive
our
sins
and
remember
our
wickedness
no
more.
You see
when James
talks about
the law
of liberty
the
liberating
law
he's
talking
about
what
Christ
has
accomplished
to
liberate
us
and to
write
and
not to
liberate
us
so we
can
do
whatever
we
want
by being
selfish
but no
to
liberate
us
so that
God's
law
would be
written
on our
hearts
and
by the
power
of the
Holy
Spirit
we'd be
empowered
to carry
to love
and to
show mercy
as God
has shown
mercy
to us
you see
in Jesus
Christ
we receive
mercy
that
triumphs
over
judgment
what
does
the
cross
mean
why
did
Jesus
die
on
the
cross
so
that
he
would
take
the
judgment
that
we
deserve
for
our
sins
and pour
out
upon
us
mercy
peace
and
forgiveness
and James
calls us
to delight
in extending
that same
triumphant
mercy
to others
even in
sacrificial
ways
but to
extend
that same
mercy
that we
ourselves
have
received
from God
in
Christ
now
there is
a strong
warning
in verse
13
verse
the first
half
of the
verse
if we're
merciless
toward
others
if we
show no
mercy
toward
others
we can't
expect to
receive
mercy
from God
in the
end
because
that's
a sign
that we
haven't
truly
received
mercy
from
God
but
James
points
us
here
to the
liberating
work
of Jesus
Christ
he has
liberated
us
from sin
from bondage
to sin
our
judge
is now
our
savior
we've
been
brought
into
the
kingdom
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
that's
what he
says
in
verse
one
of this
chapter
as
believers
in the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
the
Lord
of
glory
so
instead
of looking
at others
and thinking
what can
I hope
to get
from them
or what
do I
have to
fear
from
them
we can
look at
them
and think
how does
God
see this
person
how can
I
extend
the
mercy
of
God
that
God
has
shown
to
me
to
my
brother
or
sister
in
Christ
to
my
neighbor
brothers
and sisters
instead
of showing
favoritism
let us
show
mercy
because
God
has
shown
us
mercy
in
his
son
Jesus
Christ
let
us
pray
father
God
we
thank
you
for
the
mercy
that
you
have
shown
us
in
Jesus
Christ
that
triumphed
over
judgment
that
saved
us
from
the
rightful
judgment
we
deserve
oh
God
would
you
cleanse
our
hearts
from
favoritism
from
partiality
that
infects
our
hearts
and
manifests
in
our
lives
would
you
most
of
all
fix
our
eyes
on
you
Lord
would
you
be
our
vision
the
Lord
of
our
heart
as
we
fix
our
eyes
on
you
as
we
grow
in
our
love
for
you
may
we
be
empowered
to
love
our
neighbors
as
ourselves
to
love
one
another
as
you
have
loved
us
Lord
as
we
do
this
may
we
be
an
aroma
of
Christ
in
this
world
Lord
the
fragrance
of
mercy
righteousness
and
peace
that
come
from
you
pray
these
things
in
Jesus
name
amen