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James 2:1–13 (ESV)
1 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. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of 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 murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
As I read this passage, the Dr. Seuss book, The Sneetches, comes to mind. Do you remember that book? There were Star-Belly Sneetches who had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches had none upon thars.
The Star-Belly Sneetches thought that they were better and above the Plain-Belly Sneetches. They looked down on Plain-Belly Sneetches, ignoring them, not speaking to them, not eating with them or inviting them to their picnics, parties, or marshmallow toasts; not even to their frankfurter roasts.
That’s a little of what’s happening in our passage as James addresses the problem of favoritism, or “partiality” in the church. What’s happening is that the believers are acting just like the world around them; giving preference to the rich and those of status while downplaying and ignoring the poor and marginalized—even though they are all in Christ together.
James wants this practice of favoritism to stop saying that it has no place in the church.
He reminds them of the “royal law”, a law which Jesus affirmed in His own teaching, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28-34).
James encourages them to see and treat each other the way that God does; not showing partiality, going beyond simple equality by extending and embracing one another with same love and mercy that the Lord has shown to them.
If they do this, they will be fulfilling the “royal law.”
And don’t miss the massive end to this passage when James writes, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James is making a huge point. Perhaps as the recipients heard and read this part of the letter, they were feeling that twinge of conviction; they’ve realized the times that they’ve showed favoritism, they recognize that they’ve failed to show God’s love and mercy to others and are convicted of their sin.
Have you ever felt that twinge of conviction in your life? If you have, if you are, then hear those last words from our passage again, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
God in his mercy forgives even those who have been guilty of such discrimination—and the mercy that an individual shows has the power to grow strong both in the individual and in the ones shown mercy.—David P. Nystrom.
Ephesians 2:4–5a
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
God bless you and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott
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