A brilliant medical doctor discovered the use of blood plasma that resulted in saving thousands of lives in World War II, Korea, and the Vietnam War. At Pearl Harbor, for example, 96% of those who received plasma, survived. After World War II Charles Drew was named director of the National Blood Bank Program, and devoted himself to teaching doctors at Howard University Medical School.
On April 1, 1950, while driving some young doctors to a conference he was involved in an automobile accident in Burlington, N.C. He was rushed to a hospital where his life could have been saved by plasma. But Dr. Drew was denied admission to the hospital because his skin was black. He died on the way to another hospital 26 miles away.
The blot of racial bias stains the pages of our national history. Unfortunately, church history is stained with prejudice also. The bigotry has too often been expressed because of race, but it takes other forms as well. There is the subtle prejudice of younger people toward the elderly. Often adults are prejudiced toward teens. Doctrinal divisions over questions not fundamental to the faith have created intolerance. Charismania on one hand and charisphobia on the other have prejudiced dear Christians against one another.
Even musical preferences are often treated not as mere differences of opinion but as means of testing genuine faith. (If you sing this style or type of music you’re OK, the other style and you’re a heretic). Warren Wiersbe says, “Most church members consider themselves experts in the area of music, and they do not hesitate to tell the pastor or the minister of music exactly which music is right and which is wrong. Of course, ‘what is right’ is music they personally enjoy; ‘what is wrong’ is music they do not enjoy. It is as simple as that” [Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship (Nashville: Nelson Books, 1986), 137]. One lady couldn’t stand the music that blared from the next apartment. One day she yelled, “If you don’t turn that stereo down, I’ll go insane!” “Too late,” came the reply, “I turned it off an hour ago.”
We all have our personal preferences from the people we’d like to associate with, to the music we like to hear. But James sounds a warning concerning partiality as chapter 2 begins, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism” (v. 1).
I. THE PROBLEM OF PARTIALITY v. 1
The word translated “favoritism” comes from two words—”to receive” and “face.” “To receive by face” is to evaluate a person on the basis of surface characteristics. James warns, “Don’t just look at a person’s face, or outward appearance. Don’t be biased in your judgment by clothing, wealth, or position!”
The reason is simple: such favoritism obviously runs counter to the character of Christ. Though He was “glorious” He humbled Himself to identify with the poor and the oppressed to whom He promised the kingdom. His mission was announced at the beginning of His ministry: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...” (Luke 4:18). Prejudice based on physical appearance, social status or race is inconsistent with faith in the One who came to break down the barriers of nationality, race, sexism and religion.
II. THE PROBLEM ILLUSTRATED vv. 2-4
James offers a graphic illustration of the problem. Two men come into a Christian gathering (“meeting” is literally sunagoge or synagogue). One is lavishly attired in elegant clothes and fine jewelry. The other is poorly clad in “shabby clothes.” The contrast in the clothing spotlights the fact that they were using the inaccurate measure of outward appearance to determine personal worth in this assembly.
The usher quickly assessed the situation and the rich man was offered a choice seat. The poor man is rudely told, “Stand there,” or as Phillips paraphrases, “if you must sit, sit on the floor.” How sad that a Christian would say: “Sit at my feet”. This means that the poor man is not only treated as inferior to the rich man, but even worse than the Christian who should have welcomed him. Instead of honoring Christ, the rich man was respected while the poor man was despised.
The symbol for Justice is always a blindfolded lady holding scales in her hand. Unable to see anyone because of the blindfold she is able to serve the cause of justice impartially. God does not allow Lady Justice to peek. He is no respecter of persons. With Him there is no partiality. He expects us to make equitable judgments also or we are guilty of injustice. The attitude James opposed was plainly contrary to the Word of God. Leviticus 19:15 says, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
Partiality or prejudice violates the spirit of the gospel. James says they had judged “with evil thoughts” or motives. He goes on to suggest two reasons why such discrimination is wrong.
III. THE PROBLEM CLARIFIED vv. 5-11
A. Inconsistent with the grace of God - (5-7)
What a contrast with God’s choice of the poor. Though chosen by God, they are insulted by men! We like to belong to exclusive groups and then to move into an inner circle. C. S. Lewis, in an essay entitled “The Inner Ring,” contrasts such desire with God’s attitude. He did not set up a restricted circle, but reached out beyond the Godhead to include those who had no hope of being included. His grace reaches out to bring you into His circle.
James Boice speaks to all Christians when he says,
...In the perspective of Christ we are all poor; we are all underprivileged; we are all nobodies who only by his grace have become somebody in responding to the gospel? We of all people ought to go to those who have no stature in this world’s eyes so that as the gospel is preached and they respond to it they might find stature before God [James Boice, “My Friends Are Special,” Bible Studies Magazine (July, 1985)].
To extend preferential treatment to the rich was a disgrace to the profession of Christianity. It was also somewhat stupid because the rich, as a class, were their exploiters. They were the ones who also spoke with sneering contempt of Christ Himself.
Throughout Scripture God takes the side of the poor, the underprivileged and the oppressed. Deuteronomy 10:17-19 expresses this so well: “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him good and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”
God wasn’t forced to settle for the poor; He deliberately chose them. They are special objects of His love. Jesus Christ was rich, but the Lord of Glory became poor for our sake. He came down to earth and took our alien nature, our sin and our curse upon Himself. He extended the grace of God by choosing us.
All who are in Christ are there as a result of God’s loving choice. He chooses Democrats as well as Republicans. Thank God He doesn’t just choose the tall, dark and handsome. He also chooses the short, shot and shapeless. He calls us into fellowship and invests us with worth. He calls us to be rich in faith and joint heirs with Christ in his kingdom.
In Pilgrim’s Progress, the Pilgrims get to the gate of the Celestial City, and John Bunyan says they “turned in, each man, his certificate, which they had received in the beginning.” The king reads the presented certificates and says, “Open the gate, that they may enter in.” What was on the certificates? Letters of recommendation? Proof of superior education? Or wealth? Or race? No! There was only proof of their salvation. The certificates had been given to them the moment they accepted Christ as Savior, and became children of God.
B. Inconsistent with the Word of God - (8-11)
One of the most fundamental demands of Scripture is love for one another. This law is royal because it expresses the will of the King. It reveals what He is and what He expects from those who follow Him. The command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” is central to the royal law. We transgress that law when we show partiality “and are convicted as lawbreakers.” Showing favoritism is not just a social impropriety; it is sin.
The law of love is indivisible. We cannot pick and choose between the commandments, because the law is more like a pane of glass than a pile of stones. You can take one stone from a pile and the pile still remains; but if you throw a brick through a window the whole window is shattered.
James offers an exaggerated example to prove his point. In the 10 Commandments God said, “You shall not murder” and also “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:13,14). Both are clearly forbidden. It is absurd to argue, “I didn’t make out with my neighbor’s wife; I just shot him between the eyes.”
If I really regard someone properly, I will not commit adultery with his wife and I will not murder him. Nor will I appraise him on the basis of his position or status in life. Discrimination against anyone based on color, sex, social status or any surface characteristic violates the Word of God—the royal law of love.
IV. THE TRUTH APPLIED vv. 12-13
James calls for a new way of thinking. He insists that we speak and act according to the standard of the royal law because we will be judged by it. God’s eye is constantly upon us. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).
Every orthodox statement of faith includes a statement about the return of Christ and final judgment. We may debate some of the details of these future events, but the coming of judgment is settled. Christians will be judged by “the law that gives freedom”, the royal law of verse 8. Any life that ultimately seeks to please God must be marked by the quality of mercy. Fortunately for us, mercy is very near to the heart of God. Webster’s Dictionary says, “Mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it or that extends help even to the lowliest or most undeserving.” We are in constant need of God’s mercy and James shows us on what terms we may have it: “judgment without mercy will not be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” (13).
This is not a suggestion that our expressions of mercy somehow obligate God to show us mercy. Our mercy simply indicates that we recognize the basis of our own acceptance before God. We know the depth of our own need for mercy, and therefore extend it to others. If we are not merciful, we reveal that we have failed to realize how much we have been forgiven.
Adolf Eichmann was one of the primary architects of the holocaust. When he was tried for his war crimes at Nuremburg, Yehiel Dinur, who had survived Auschwitz, faced Eichmann for the first time since leaving the concentration camp. When he saw Eichmann, Dinur sobbed and fainted. Years later Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes asked Dinur what happened: Was he overcome by hatred or fear or horrid memories? Dinur’s answer is stunning. He said he suddenly realized that Eichmann was not some God-like authority in a military uniform who sent thousands to their deaths. He was just an ordinary man. And then, said Dinur, “I was afraid about myself... I saw that I am capable of doing this. I am exactly like he.”
Let us understand that we are not superior to the least or the lost. We have no reason to be prejudiced. If God has received us it is not for deeds that we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us.
Years ago a young soloist thrilled a London audience with her musical skills. After the concert a young preacher made his way through the admiring crowd and when he gained her attention said, “Young lady, when you were singing, I thought how tremendously the cause of Christ would be benefited if you would dedicate yourself and your talents to the Lord. But, you are just as much a sinner as the worst drunkard in the street, or any harlot on Scarlet Street. But”, he added, “the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, will cleanse you from all sin if you will come to Him.”
Shocked, she said, “You are very insulting, sir,” and started to walk away. He said, “Lady, I did not mean any offense, but I pray that the Spirit of God will convict you.”
That night she could not sleep. At two o’clock in the morning Charlotte Elliott knelt at the side of her bed and received Christ as Savior. While sitting there she wrote these favorite words:
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come!
That is the basis on which Christ received you. How will you receive others? Will you allow mercy to triumph over judgment?
