The Strange Case Of The Snooty Usher Series

Today in our series, we move to chapter James 2 where James, the little brother of Jesus, and the leader of the Jerusalem Church, is going to teach on the sin of favoritism. So let’s think about that word for just a minute…favoritism. The word favoritism actually means to give preferential treatment at the expense to another…and according to James, the preferential treatment is made on the basis of outward appearance. This past week I was at Walgreens and I was intrigued by all the magazines at the check-out counter. And in looking at these magazines, you begin to get a sense of who the world considers beautiful. This week it was obviously all about the Royal Family with pictures of not only the Queen, but Prince William and Princess Cate, Prince Harry and Princess Megan…each splendidly displayed in all their glamour. We’ve recently seen magazine covers with J.Lo and Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman, Selena Gomez, and even Princess Diana. And these magazine are not JUST about who the world thinks is beautiful. You’ll know who’s in, who’s out, who’s up, and who’s down. You’ll discover whose marriage is on the rocks, which couple is no longer a couple, and so on.

My first thought was, “Do people actually buy these magazines?” And the answer is obviously YES or else the stores wouldn’t waste such valuable real estate. But a glance at any of these magazines, gives testimony to the fact that the world is impressed by outward beauty, money, and all the trappings of earthly power. In fact, that’s exactly the language that Scripture uses when it says that “man looks on the outward appearance…” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Turn with me this morning to James 2, where James is going to give us the test of impartial love (review first 3 tests that help reveal the genuineness of our faith. And we’re going to explore this idea that “man looks on the outward appearance…but God looks at the heart.” And James is going to show us how we tend to make snap judgments based on appearance…and how this is not only dangerous, but that it’s also sinful.

James 2:1-9

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 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, 3 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,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

James uses the same words to start this paragraph that we saw him use last week – “My brothers…” Once again, we’re reminded that he’s talking to his spiritual family…his brothers and sisters in Christ. Literally, he’s talking to those who have been “justified” (those who have been saved from the penalty of sin) and are in the process of “sanctification” (those who are in the process of becoming more and more like Jesus). And James has a serious challenge to those who are being conformed to the image of Christ, and it’s this—Do not show partiality.

And so as we look at James challenge to HIS church THEN, and OUR church NOW, the first challenge we see is to…

1. CHECK YOUR THEOLOGY – vs 1-4

Let me read verse one from the King James version: "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect to persons." This term—"respect to persons"—in the original language literally means to accept the face. In other words, James is saying, if you’re a person of true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will NOT accept people based on the appearance of their face. One translation (Amplified Bible) reads like this: "My fellow believers, do not practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of partiality [toward people—show no favoritism, no prejudice, no snobbery]."