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Faith on Display in Your Relationships
Question 1:
Who could get away with just about anything when you were growing up?
THE POINT
Don’t play favorites.
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
When Stephen A. Smith, a sports commentator, came under fire for his insensitive remarks about Shohei Ohtani, a designated hitter and pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels, he didn’t make excuses. Instead, Smith said, “I was wrong, period.”
Smith’s comments had nothing to do with Ohtani’s performance in baseball; his remarks were tied to the fact that Ohtani is Japanese. As a black man, Smith has been on the other side of racism and is an outspoken critic of racist thought and behavior. However, this time, he was the offending party. Smith said that his words were “inexcusable,” and acknowledged that he “contributed to the ongoing hate against the Asian and Asian-American community.”1
Smith is not alone. Prejudice is far more common than it should be among those who agree that “all are created equal.” Whether the distinctions we make are racial, socio-economic, religious, or political, we often treat people differently because they are different than us or can’t do something for us. James pointed to a better way—we should treat everyone the same.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
James 2:1-4
1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
On occasions I do a church consultation to help a church. I’ll ask friends to visit the church and let me know their perceptions. A few years ago, two people had very 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 happens to be of the same race as most of the attenders of that church. The other individual is not. The church appeared to play favorites based on outward appearances, a clear violation of the principle in this passage.
If our faith has permeated our lives, then we won’t play favorites based on outward appearances. 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 racing roller coaster. We should cling even tighter to our faith when we are tempted to discriminate. The goal isn’t shifting our discrimination from one group to another, but in stopping it all together. Living without playing favorites requires us to maintain our faith as we continue looking to and relying on God.
Question 2:
What are some ways people show favoritism today?
In support of this command, James gave an example that his initial readers could easily relate to—and it’s an example that translates very well into our own church culture. In James’s case, believers were gathering for a meeting. James didn’t say whether this was a regular meeting of believers, but he wanted to highlight the reaction of the regular attenders.
Two guests joined the meeting. Both apparently 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 quite rich; the other was desperately poor.
The distinctions between these two men may have been obvious, but it’s not our place to shine a light on those distinctions. When we do so, James asked rhetorically, do we not “become judges with evil thoughts?” (v. 4). As we hold on to our faith in Christ, we trust Him, obey Him, and live like Him. God doesn’t show partiality, and neither should we.
James 2:5-7
5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
When we discriminate between people, we are making judgment calls we have no authority to make. By discounting some in favor of others, we’re also discounting God, 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.
The decision to honor one and demean the other based on outward appearances is not just done with individuals. Unfortunately, some practice such bigotry with whole classes of people. By favoring the audaciously wealthy person over the desperately poor man, the members not only violate the faith they should be holding onto, but they also discount the poor as a valued class of people. Economics or social standing are immaterial to God; God wants to use us all for His kingdom purposes, and He will supply us with whatever gifts we need to do so.
One way God uses the poor in the world is to be examples of what it means “to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him” (v. 5). Jesus pointed out one such example to His disciples in Luke 21:1-4. As Jesus watched people bring their gifts in the temple, He paid special attention to a woman who gave two small coins. He commented that her gift was greater than the huge sums that the wealthy contributed to the treasury: “All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (v. 4). Her gift left her with nothing but her faith and trust in God—and in that she was rich.
It’s impossible to know what is in people’s hearts merely by glancing at their outward appearances. When we marginalize the poor just because they are ragged or dirty, we may be ignoring the strength of their character or the richness of their faith. Conversely, when we honor someone because they are smartly dressed or bejeweled, we may be elevating people of poor character to a place of honor, people who take advantage of others and are undeserving of special recognition. In James’s example, the believers had honored those who oppressed them and dragged them into court. They may have been rich in the temporary things of the world, but they were poor in what really matters: faith in God and love for others.
Question 3:
How can we discipline ourselves not to show favoritism?
James 2:8-13
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James wasn’t discouraging the believers from treating the rich well, but he didn’t want the rich treated differently. We are to treat everyone equally well—the rich and the poor—and that means we love them all.
Question 4:
Why is mercy so important in the way we live out our faith?
In the Old Testament law, the Jews were mandated to love their neighbor rather than hold a grudge or seek revenge against someone in the community (Lev. 19:18). Unfortunately, the Jews had 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. A neighbor is not just somebody who is like us or who lives near us. Jesus expanded the definition of neighbor to include those outside our group, even those against whom we might be tempted to hold a prejudice.
We typically refer to the command to love God and to love others as we love ourselves as the Great Commandment. James called the command to love our neighbor as ourselves “the royal law.” The royal law of love applies to everyone always. If it’s not universally applied, then it’s not being kept at all.
When we show favoritism toward one person, resulting in the denigration of another, we become sinful—we are lawbreakers. The purpose of James’s argument wasn’t to heap condemnation on us, but to call us to repentance. We’ll be judged by how we treat others. We should treat one another with kindness. We are to treat everyone with kindness, love, and honor. We are not to banish anyone to a place of dishonor.
Question 5:
What are some practical ways our group can not only avoid favoritism but actively demonstrate love?
Engage
WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Using the acrostic, list some ways you demonstrate love for your neighbor without prejudice (the first has been done for you). Then write a prayer asking God for the help you will need.
N – Not comparing people to my own cultural standards
E –
I –
G –
H –
B –
O –
R –
My Prayer:
“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.’ ”
MATTHEW 22:37-39
LIVE IT OUT
How will you live out the truth from this passage? Choose one of the following applications:
Make Contact. In your group and congregational setting, greet those you don’t know. Smile. Make eye contact. Ask their names. Practice the five-minute rule. Five minutes before and after a church gathering, seek out people you don’t know very well and spend a few minutes chatting with them.
Invite. You likely have friends and acquaintances who outwardly may not “fit in” in your group or church. Don’t assume they won’t fit in. Invite them to come with you. Show them the love of Christ. Help build bridges.
Help end poverty for someone. Find a way to help someone in need. While you can’t end all poverty, you can help someone in need and make a difference for them.
God made us all different for a reason. If we can learn to see the beauty in God’s design and plan for each individual, we’ll treat everyone without prejudice.
Teacher's Notes:
So, what did we learn in last week’s opening
lesson from James on Living Out Our Faith during Hard Times:
- Well, we learned that hard times are part of
the Christian experience. Jesus told His disciples, “In this world you will
have trouble” (John 16:33).
- But they exist for a purpose because they can
be times of great learning and understanding of God’s very presence, faithfulness,
and power in our lives. Always remember God’s presence with Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego – He didn’t save them from the fire – He saved them through the
fire – their faith was on display, and it changed a nation that day!
- James said to consider it a great joy – when we
go through hard times, because in them we learn to depend on God and to trust
Him.
- C. S. Lewis said, “God knows our suffering and He
promises we will experience it, especially as we get closer to Jesus.”
- James told us to seek God’s wisdom in our hard
times. God’s wisdom teaches us patience – to wait on God’s timing and action.
- James told us to remember, what happens in us
is more important than what happens to us. God will use hard times to transform
us now and teach someone else later.
- This is how our faith should be on display
during hard times.
Today we look at our faith on display in our relationships and we must ask ourselves, how much has really changed?
Stephen A. Smith, a sports commentator made
some insensitive remarks about Shohei Ohtani, a designated hitter and pitcher
with the Los Angeles Angels. He realized it and didn’t make excuses - Smith
said, “I was wrong, period.” His comments had nothing to do with Ohtani’s
performance; they were tied to the fact that Ohtani is Japanese. As a black
man, Smith has been on the other side of racism and is an outspoken critic of
racist thought and behavior. This time, he was the offending party. Smith said
his words were “inexcusable,” and acknowledged that he “contributed to the
ongoing hate against the Asian and Asian-American community.”
Smith is not alone. Prejudice is far more
common than it should be among those who agree that “all people are created
equal.” Whether the distinctions we make are racial, socio-economic, religious,
or political, we often treat people differently because they are different
than us or can’t do something for us.
James says this morning there is a better way —
treat everyone the same.
THE POINT: Don’t play
favorites.
The
Household of Faith Shows no Partiality
James 2:1-4
My brothers and sisters, believers in our
glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into
your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old
clothes also comes in. If 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,” have you not discriminated among
yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Stop for a moment and consider your own
immediate inclination. Were you in a
position to welcome these two visitors, who would you be more likely to
approach first? Be honest! Would you be more likely to greet the man
richly attired who is presumably also personable and influential? Or would you be more likely to reach out to
the shabbily dressed man? Each must
answer for himself, but James seems to suggest that most of us would treat the
rich man more graciously than we would the poor man.
1. Don’t play favorites based on outward
appearances.
What makes favoritism wrong?
· Favoritism occurs when we focus merely upon the
externals. The Lord told the Prophet
Samuel: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart (1
Samuel 16:7).”
· James condemns acts of favoritism. Why do we do
this? We do this because we would rather identify with successful people than with
apparent failures. We want to be wealthy too. We want rich people to join our
church and help support it financially.
· Racism and every other kind of discrimination
are sins.
· All these motives are selfish – they view
neither the rich nor the poor person as a human being in need of fellowship.
Why is it wrong to judge a person by his or her
economic status?
· Wealth may indicate intelligence, wise
decisions, and hard work. On the other hand, it may mean only that the person
had the good fortune of being born into a wealthy family. Or it can even be a
sign of greed, dishonesty, and selfishness.
· Honoring because of outward appearance makes
appearance more important than character.
James 2:5-7
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: 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? But you have dishonored
the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who
are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the
noble name of him to whom you belong?
2. Don’t discount those God accepts.
How can a person’s financial status affect
their relationship with God?
· James says that the rich find it difficult to
identify with the Lord Jesus, who came as a humble servant.
Are you easily impressed by status, wealth, or
fame? Are you partial to the “haves” while ignoring the “have-nots”?
· This attitude is sinful. God views all people
as equals, and if He favors anyone, it is the poor and the powerless. We should
follow His example.
Is there a circumstance in which it’s common
for us to ignore the poor?
When we discriminate between people, we are
making judgment calls we have no place or authority to make. By discounting
some in favor of others, we are also discounting God, His view of them, and how
He can work through them.
One way God uses the poor in the world is to be
examples of what it means “to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he
promised those who love him” (v. 5). Jesus pointed out one such example to His
disciples in Luke 21:1-4. As Jesus watched people bring their gifts in the
temple, He paid special attention to a woman who gave two small coins. He
commented that her gift was greater than the huge sums that the wealthy
contributed to the treasury: “All these people gave their gifts out of their
wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (v. 4). Her
gift left her with nothing but her faith and trust in God—and in that she was
rich.
James 2:8-13
If you really keep the royal law found in
Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you
show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For
whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of
breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also
said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit
murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives
freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not
been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James wasn’t discouraging the believers from
treating the rich well, but he didn’t want the rich treated differently. We are
to treat everyone equally well — the rich and the poor — and that means we love
them all.
3. Be obedient to the call to love
others.
How can we discipline ourselves not to show
favoritism?
James called the command to love our neighbor
as ourselves “the royal law” (v. 8). The royal law of love applies to everyone
all the time. If it is not universally applied, then it is not being kept at
all. The purpose of James’s argument was not to heap condemnation on us, but to
call us to repentance — to cause us to take the sin of favoritism seriously,
turn from it, and begin to demonstrate love to everyone.
When we show favoritism toward one person,
resulting in the denigration of another, we become sinful. We’ll be judged by
how we treat others. We should treat one another with kindness. We are to treat
everyone with kindness, love, and honor. We are not to banish anyone to a place
of dishonor.
Someone might try to rationalize their actions:
“OK, I may have a wrong attitude toward some, but it’s not like I committed
adultery or killed someone.” Sin, regardless of the type of sin, is still sin.
When we fail to keep the royal law, that makes us lawbreakers. Neither the
adulterer nor the murderer can claim to keep the law just because the one who
murdered did not commit adultery and the adulterer did not commit murder. What
they did not do does not negate what they did! Both 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!
Conclusion:
Our faith is to be a living faith that is
displayed in all our relationships — without exception. What a challenge! But
how sad it would be if we denied someone our witness for Christ only because of
his or her appearance and outward conditions.
“By judging others, we blind ourselves to our
own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.”
DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
Commentary
James 2:13 says, “Because judgment without
mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over
judgment.” When looking for the meaning from any passage, it is always
important to look at the context. This chapter, and indeed the whole book of
James, is a letter from the apostle James to the Church about practical Christian
living. Not only does it deal with how to respond to God, but also how to
maintain a Christlike relationship with others.
The first half of chapter 2 — which includes
verse 13 — addresses the favoritism some believers were showing toward the rich
at the expense of the poor (verses 1–9). James then goes on to speak about the
Law and how breaking even one of God’s commands makes one guilty of breaking
all of them — one infraction is all it takes to make one a lawbreaker
(verses 10–11). While some in the church may have seen favoritism as a “lesser”
sin, James informed them that any sin, no matter how small it seems,
constitutes breaking the entirety of God’s Law for His people.
James 2:12–13 fit right into the flow of the
previous verses. Verse 12 says, “Speak and act as those who are going to be
judged by the law that gives freedom.” James reminds the believers that they
are no longer held under the old Law; instead, they are under a new law of
freedom that was established through Jesus’ death and resurrection — born-again
believers are under the New Covenant. This liberty, which comes through the
gospel of Christ, gives us freedom from the power of sin. Live your life in
such a way, says James, that proves that you expect to answer to God some day
for your actions. No believer will be able to excuse his sin by saying, “I
couldn’t help it,” because the cross of Christ did away with that bondage. We
are under the law of liberty now.
In James 2:13, the thought is continued:
“Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been
merciful.” We dare not violate the law of liberty in our hearts by withholding
mercy from others. If we who have been shown such great mercy act unmercifully
toward our neighbors, then we will be dealt with in similar fashion. Jesus made
the same point in the parable of the unforgiving steward (Matthew 18:23–35).
And the principle goes back to Solomon’s time: “Whoever shuts their ears to the
cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13). James’
mention of “mercy” here corresponds to his mention of “love” in verse 8: the
“royal law” is to love your neighbor as yourself.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus proclaims, “Blessed
are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). James gives the
converse of that statement in James 2:13, saying, in essence, “Cursed are the
unmerciful, for they will be shown no mercy.” A Christian is not under God’s
curse. One of the qualities of the Christian is that he shows mercy and
compassion toward others.
This brings us to the final statement of James
2:13, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” The idea is that mercy “glories” or
“boasts” against judgment, knowing that, where mercy and judgment seem to
conflict, mercy wins. The good news for every child of God in Christ is that
God’s mercy toward us will triumph over His judgment of us (see Romans 8:1).
Our sins may argue against us, but Christ is our loving Advocate who argues for
us and prevents us from receiving the judgment we deserve. We, in turn, display
God’s type of mercy toward others.
In essence, James 2:13 tells us that, since God
will judge us with mercy, we should judge others with mercy. Being merciful is
an act that shows our thankfulness for all God has done, and it is made
possible through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling.
Favoritism is partiality or bias. To show favoritism is to give
preference to one person over others with equal claims. It is like
discrimination and may be based on conditions such as social class, wealth,
clothing, actions, etc.
The Bible is clear that favoritism is not God’s
will for our lives.
- Favoritism is incongruent with God’s character:
“God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11). All are equal before Him.
Ephesians 6:9 says, “There is no favoritism with him.” Colossians 3:25 teaches
God’s fairness in judgment: “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his
wrong, and there is no favoritism.”
- The Bible teaches Christians are not to show favoritism: “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism” (James 2:1). The context concerns the treatment of rich and poor in the church. James points out that treating someone differently based on his financial status or how he is dressed is wrong. The Old Testament provides similar instruction regarding favoritism. Leviticus 19:15 teaches, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Exodus 23:3 likewise commands, “Do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” Justice should be blind, and both rich and poor should be treated equally before the law.
- The Bible calls favoritism sin: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” (James 2:8-9). Favoritism is a serious offense against God’s call to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
- Church leaders are especially charged not to show favoritism. Paul commanded Timothy, a young church leader, “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism” (1 Timothy 5:21).
- It is difficult to avoid showing favoritism. Even Christ’s closest followers struggled with bias against people different from them. When the apostle Peter was first called to minister to non-Jewish people, he was reluctant. He later admitted, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35). The fact that James specifically addresses the sin of favoritism implies that this was a common problem within the early church.
Favoritism is a problem we still deal with.
Favoritism and partiality are not from God, and Christians are called to love.
As humans, we tend to form judgments based on selfish, personal criteria rather
than seeing others as God sees them. May we grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and follow His example of treating every
person with God’s love (John 3:16).
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