James 2:1-13 – the Discriminating Christian
Most every person in this world is looking to be accepted, to be appreciated, and to be loved for who they ARE, not who they are SEEN to be. What they’re looking for is an unconditional love, not a judgemental one. Is that not the way WE feel? When we come into a room, do we want people to make a judgement call on who we are simply by the way we LOOK? Do we judge OTHERS when we meet them on a ‘first impression’ basis? I would hope that is not the case, and tonight as we continue our look into James, and how we are to live as Christians, I want us to take a good look through God’s eyes as to how we are to consider others.
Favoritism Forbidden
1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If 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," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: 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? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? (NIV)
1. LOOK AT PEOPLE THROUGH GOD’S EYES
There are lots of different ways our society splits along divisional lines. It might be race, language, family, and of course religion. But the one James points out here is one that can really divide people from one another, MONEY. The world sees money as the thing that makes it work. ‘Money makes the world go ‘round,’ is the familiar quote. And those who have it are often the ones that we are attracted to. Why, because maybe if we’re nice to them, they’ll give us some of that money? ‘Here, Mr. or Mrs. Rich looking person…here’s the best seat in the house, just for you…move it Mr. Ordinary!’
All through the Bible, there are instances where people are judged by their outward appearance, when God has something different in mind. Take for example when Samuel the prophet went to anoint the new king of Israel. God told him to go the family of Jesse in Bethlehem as God had chosen one of his sons to be the king. When Samuel arrived to sacrifice with the family, he saw Eliab. He was big, strong, and handsome. Surely this is the Lord’s chosen one. No, said God. Not him. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (NIV)
The same goes for us. We are not to consider what somebody looks like on the outside, including their financial position or social status or skin colour or the label on their clothes or the jewelry they wear. When anyone comes through the doors of this church, we cannot judge them. Who are we to know what their heart is like before we get to know them? God knows them, and if we know God, we are to see them as He would, simply as His children, whom He created, every single one of them. Because that’s the way God looked at every one of us before we gave our lives to Him, and the way He sees us today. Should we not extend that same kind of respect to all who come?
Let’s keep reading on in James 2
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
2. LOVE PEOPLE THE WAY GOD DOES
Did you see that in verse 9? To show favortism is to sin! It’s not just an attitude problem, it’s a sin. Then, to really emphasize that point, James puts in another of his great illustrations. We’ve seen some good ones so far in this book, but this is particularly powerful. If we stumble in one point of God’s law, we are guilty of breaking all of it. He uses two terrible sins, adultery and murder. But are those any more terrible than keeping the Sabbath or honouring our parents? The 10 Commandments are found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. They are the laws that God set out for all of His people to live by. Can we name them all?
3 "You shall have no other gods before [a] me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
It’s been stated in surveys that more people can recall the ingredients in a Big-Mac than can remember the 10 commandments. More people can name all 6 Brady Bunch kids than 6 of God’s laws. How sad is that?
The Old Testament law was one that strongly emphasized the need to demonstrate love toward others.
“‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” ’Do not go about spreading slander among your people." ’Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord. “‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
Leviticus 19:15-18 (NIV)
Jesus said that the second greatest commandment was to love our neighbours.
“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV)
We need to show love to everyone. What does that mean? How do I do that? Some people are just unlovable? Are they? Not in God’s eyes. God does not discriminate when it comes to showing love, mercy and grace. As it says in Joel, Acts, and Romans, ‘all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved.’ God hates it when we sin, in fact He hates sin itself, but that does not change His love for us, the sinners. In Romans 5:8 Paul explains God’s kind of love for us, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.(NIV)
We are to love with mercy. It’s pretty clear at the end of the passage how those who don’t show mercy will be judged…mercilessly. I, for one, would not want to be on the wrong side of God’s judgement. I don’t want my attitude towards other people to be a hindrance in the way God wants to work through me. I know I won’t be able to please all the people all the time, and there may be some that are even offended by me, but it is through God’s mercy that He keeps me doing His work. And my work is to reach out in love to all those I can. My calling is to show God’s love and mercy to those who don’t know what that is. I have to model it in my everyday life. Not just when I stand in front of the church and preach, but when I am in a line at Wal-Mart, when I’m at the arena watching a hockey game, when I drive down Goldstream Avenue, and when things are taking forever in the line-ups at the grocery store. Everywhere at all times, in all circumstances, with all people, I am representing the Lord, Jesus Christ. We all, as believers, are His representatives, and therefore we need to live lives of love.
So the next time you meet someone, don’t fall into the trap of judging a book by its cover. Realize that this person is loved by God, created by God, and that God wants this person to be part of His Kingdom. Forget the judgmental attitude and reach out with love and mercy to that person. God can use ANYONE to do great works for Him, anyone. Who are we to judge which people we extend the hand of mercy to? We are all under God’s grace; we should do no less than extend that same love to all we meet, no matter what they look like, or how much money they have!
