Today let's ask if our faith shows through in the relationships that we have. When we talk about relationships, racism and prejudice enter the scene. And unfortunately, racism and prejudice can be found in most any church setting.
Racism and prejudice are far more common than they should be among those who agree that all are created equal. Of course, we can be prejudice in more ways than with just skin color. Whether the distinctions we make are racial, socioeconomic, religious, or political, we often treat people differently because they are different than us or cannot do something for us. In James's writings, he pointed to a better way. He taught that we should treat everyone the same. And isn't that true? Prayer.
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Let me share a true story with you. There is a man that serves as a church consultant to help and assist churches. On occasion, he would ask some of his friends to visit a church and let him know their perception.
In one particular case, he had two of his friends visit a church. The two people had extremely different experiences at the same church on the same day. One was warmly welcomed, given some materials, and introduced to the senior pastor. The other sat alone without any interaction from anyone. Now it could just be a coincidence, but the guest who was given the warm welcome happened to be of the same race as most of the attenders of that church. The other individual was not. The church appeared to play favorites based on outward appearances, which is a clear violation of the principle in James's writings.
We should know and understand the rights and wrongs of prejudice. But evidently this is a problem that God anticipated when He had James write about it. Let's begin our message today in James 2.
James 2:1-4 – “My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
These verses are telling us that we should refuse the temptation to judge others based on outward appearances. James clearly says do not show favoritism. Then he gave an example that his initial readers could easily relate to - and it's an example that translates very well into our culture today.
In James's case, believers were gathering for a meeting and two guests arrived. Apparently, they were new to the meeting because they needed help knowing where they should sit. Their newness was not the only thing that made them stand out. Neither of them conformed to the normal socio-economic standing of everyone else. One was outstandingly rich; the other was desperately poor.
The rich man's wealth was obvious. He had a gold ring on his finger and that could have been a sign of great authority, like a signet ring that officials used to seal important documents, or perhaps it symbolized social standing. He was dressed in fine clothes.
In contrast, the poor man was desperately needy. His clothes brought as much attention, maybe even more likely, he didn't even own a change of clothes or a means to wash the one garment he owned.
The distinction between these two men may have been obvious, but it is not our place to shine a light on those distinctions. When we do so, James asked us, “Do we not become judges with evil thoughts?” So, we are clearly told not to show favoritism as we hold on to our faith in Jesus Christ.
If our faith is on display in our relationships, then we won't play favorites based on outward appearances or any other reason. Racism and every other kind of discrimination are sins. They occur when we don't take full possession of our faith.
We need to hold on to our faith just like we would hold on to the handles of a speeding roller coaster. We should cling even tighter to our faith when we're tempted to discriminate. Living without playing favorites requires us to maintain our faith as we continue looking to and relying on God.
And please don't think that you are not guilty of this. Over the almost 28 years that I have been here, from time to time I have seen the expressions on people's faces when someone different enters the room. So yes, we are not innocent when it comes to our discrimination.
James 2:5-7 – “Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?”
Here's what happens. When we discriminate between people, we are making judgment calls that we have no place or authority to make. If we discount some in favor of others, we're also discounting God. We are discounting His view of them, and how He is able to work through them.
That's what the people were doing in James's example. By escorting the wealthy man to preferred seating and not giving the same honored status to the poor man, the people were dismissing the value and usefulness of the poor man.
James is trying to tell us we should make it our goal to be rich in faith. And where we really fail at discriminating is that it is not just with individuals. Unfortunately, some discriminate with whole classes of people. The well to do usually find favor with most everyone. The poor however, are not shown such favor. But the truth of it all is that by favoring the wealthy person over the poor man, you not only violate the faith that you should be holding on to, but you also discount the poor as an invaluable class of people.
It would be good for all of us to be reminded that economics or social standing are immaterial to God. He wants to use us all for His kingdom purposes, and He will supply us with whatever gifts we need to do so. Think about how God uses the poor in our society today.
One way that God uses the poor is to be examples of what it means to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him. Jesus pointed out such an example to His disciples. You might remember it.
As Jesus watched people bring their gifts to the temple, he paid special attention to a woman who gave two small coins. Jesus commented that her gift was greater than the huge sums that the wealthy contributed to the treasury. He said the wealthy gave their gifts out of their surplus, she gave out of her poverty and put in all that she had to live on. Her gift left her with nothing but her faith and trust in God - and in that she was rich.
Here's something you might want to try just as a daily reminder. Take two pennies and put them somewhere where you would see them all the time. Maybe on a little table by your front door. But you want to put them where you will see them often. And when you look at those two pennies, let them serve as a reminder that God wants our faith in Him over any other gift we might give Him.
1 John 2:3-6 – “This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.”
I think we can see that John was telling us that our actions and our words give evidence of our faith. Because they have little, the faith of the poor is often quite visible. Their faith is on full display when they do the right thing instead of taking advantage of a situation. That's why people noticed Billy Ray Harris several years ago. Harris was homeless and panhandling at his regular spot on a sidewalk in Kansas City, Missouri, when Sarah Darling dumped some change from her wallet into his cup. What she didn't realize until later was that when she gave him the money, her engagement ring slipped from her finger. Harris didn't notice it either until he counted his money at the end of the day.
When Harris found the ring, he had a jeweler look at it, who offered him $4,000 for the ring. What would you have done? Some might have taken the ring, but Harris decided not to. He knew in his heart he had to return the ring. When Sarah realized the ring was gone, she went to Billy Ray's usual spot and was pleased with his response. He was waiting for her so he could give it back. Again I say, our actions and our words allow our faith to show through.
But as we read God's word, God calls us to extend love to everyone around us.
James 2:8-9 – “Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
James highlights the importance of loving others. And we are supposed to uphold this Royal law completely and consistently. When we show favoritism toward one person, we are law breakers. James goes on to say:
James 2: 10 – 13 – “For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
Typically, we refer to the twofold command to love God and love others as we love ourselves as the Great commandment. James called the command to love our neighbors as ourselves the royal law. The Royal law of Love applies to everyone all the time. And if it's not applied to everyone, then it's not being kept at all. The reason for James arguing this was not to condemn us, but to call us to repentance - to cause us to take the sin of favoritism seriously, turn away from it, and begin to demonstrate love to everyone.
Sure we might try to rationalize our action: “Okay, I may have a wrong attitude towards some, but it's not like I committed adultery or killed someone.” But here's what God wants us all to know. Sin, regardless of the type of sin, is still sin. When we fail to keep the Royal law, we are law breakers. The adulterer or the murderer can't claim to keep the law just because the one who murdered didn't commit adultery and the adulterer didn't commit murder.
What they didn't do doesn't negate what they did do! Both of them are lawbreakers. They have broken different laws, but they both are guilty of breaking the law. And those who show prejudice and favoritism are right there beside them.
Now let's step on our own toes. Think about your circle of friends. I'll let you decide within yourself. Are there certain groups of people that you're not in deep relationships with? Are there certain races that you do not associate with? Are there certain political parties that you do not associate with? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then, in God's eyes, you are guilty of prejudice and favoritism and are no different than the adulterer or the murderer.
Here is what it gets down to. When we treat every person as valuable and worthy of our love, we imitate Christ. James wasn't saying not to treat the wealthy well, but he didn't want the rich treated any differently. We are to treat everyone equally well - the rich and the poor - and that means we love them all.
You might remember that when an expert in the law asked Jesus to name the greatest commandment, Jesus mentioned two.
Matthew 22:35-40 – “And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
In the Old Testament law recorded in the book of Leviticus, the Jews were mandated to love their neighbor rather than hold a grudge or seek revenge against someone in the community. Unfortunately, the Jews restricted the definition of neighbor to only include their fellow Jews, but Jesus applied the law of love to those outside the community as well.
To be a neighbor to the rich and poor alike means we show kindness, compassion, and mercy to all, just as Christ shows it to us. We have to remember that Jesus taught that those who are merciful will be shown mercy, and those who have received mercy must give it to others. So overall, mercy wins.
I close with a statement that Dietrich Bonhoeffer made. He said, “By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”
God is calling us today to open our eyes and look to him beyond everything else. He is calling us to look beyond the skin color, look beyond the economic status of someone, look beyond the political party, and accept each other as a child of His. Before we make a prejudice decision, we must ask, “Where would I be if God didn't have mercy upon me?” God asks us to simply extend that Mercy to others and let our faith show through.
LET YOUR FAITH SHINE THROUGH ALL YOUR RELATIONSHIPS.
As always, we end our service by offering you the opportunity to know and accept Jesus Christ as your very own. If you have not, then come.
