James 2:1~13
1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism.
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby 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?
5 Listen, 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?
6 But 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?
7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbour as yourself," you are doing right.
9 But if you show favouritism, 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, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do 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!
I. Message:
Content:
- Don’t show favouritism for it is discrimination and judgment with evil thoughts (v. 1~4)
- “If you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law” (v. 5~9)
- Stumbling at one law is guilty of breaking all of it (v. 10~13)
Theme: Don’t show favouritism
II. Who is God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit?
- Jesus Christ is glorious (v. 1)
- God chooses poor (v. 5)
- God makes poor rich (v. 5)
- God promises a new kingdom (v. 5)
- God makes the law (v. 9)
- God judges (v. 12~13)
- God is merciful (v. 13)
III. What does the passage teach us (about commands, promises, examples, exhortations and warnings)?
- Don’t show favouritism
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favouritism. (v. 1)
James teaches us not to show favouritism since we believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ and are His followers. God looks at our heart, not our outward appearance.
There are many lessons in the Bible against showing favouritism:
a. 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."” 1 Samuel 16:7
b. 16 “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” 2 Corinthians 5:16
c. 6 “As for those who seemed to be important--whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance--those men added nothing to my message.” Galatians 2:6
Reflections: how do I look at others? Do I look at knowledge, status, wealth, and family background or do I look at speech, behaviour, attitude, faith and life? Do I evaluate brothers and sisters in Christ under society’s standards? Do I choose coworkers according to such standards?
- Discriminate and judge with evil thoughts
2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby 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?
Showing favouritism to rich is a common practice in society: we tend to be friends with the rich and try to satisfy their desires but we despise the poor and oppress them. This is using two standards for different people, showing favouritism and discriminating against the poor. The believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not have such attitude.
Reflections: what is my attitude towards others? Do I treat everyone equally? Do I favour some people? What is my attitude towards the rich, and the poor? Do I treat them the same way?
- Sin against God
5 Listen, 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?
6 But 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?
7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
James explained more on the problem of favouring the rich at the expense of the poor:
- the poor: lacks financial resources; God chooses to make them rich in faith and to inherit His kingdom; we despise them because of they do not have money;
- the rich: lacks justice and sues for no reason; God judges against their injustice; we try to satisfy them;
- the rich: blasphemes against God’s name; God curses them; we pay attention to them.
Therefore, showing favouritism is against God. We must be careful.
Reflections: how do I usually interact with people? Did I show favouritism unknowingly? How do I adjust my attitude towards others?
- Breaking the command to love one another
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbour as yourself," you are doing right.
9 But if you show favouritism, 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, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do 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 emphasizes that a truly godly person must care for the lonely, the poor, the afflicted and, in particular, the weak. Therefore, we must not look down or put poor people to shame.
As Christians, we are called to follow the new commandment in loving one another. However if we showed favouritism, we have broken the new commandment and sinned and thus convicted.
Reflections: did I break the command to love one another when I showed favouritism?
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