This past Sunday at The Family Church here in Gainesville, Pastor Philip Griffin continued his series of sermons on the New Testament book of James. We're now into Chapter Two, and the talk was about Verses 1-12, given below in the New International Version, courtesy of Bible Gateway:
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?
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?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.
Pastor Philip emphasized that while treating people differently according their wealth or social status is an example of us glorifying the wrong things, racial prejudice is also a problem...he cited Mahatma Gandhi's statement about Christianity: " I like your Christ...I don't like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ"...and then referred to the Indian leader's earlier experience of being barred from entering an Anglican "whites-only" church due to his skin color. But whether it is glorifying one's race, wealth, or any other thing one may value more than God, then it impedes them in that relationship...and it is the poor in spirit whom the Creator welcomes into his kingdom. As for the passages (verses 8-13) about the law, remember that this letter of James is being addressed to the "scattered tribes", i.e. the Jewish people...and that there are two laws: the Old Testament law of judgment (verses 8-11) and the New Testament law (verses 12-13) that gives freedom through the atoning sacrifice of Christ. It is the mercy shown through this law that covers the judgment contained within that Old Testament law...and that's very good, since all of us in the end are lawbreakers.
Ultimately, the question is whether we value our relationship with God less than our social positions, wealth, color of skin...or anything else in our worldly lives that we glorify. This, more than anything, was what this passage and the accompanying sermon was about. As for me, my temptation is to tell myself that this "doesn't apply"...after all, I'm not a wealthy person or a political leader or oh-so-proud of my academic credentials or with "Dr." prefixing my name...nor do I hold my myself superior to others from different demographic groups. But then again, how much do I value the possessions, job, and academic accomplishments I do have...nothing wrong with wanting to better oneself, but there has to be a sense of perspective. And if it spills over into behaving toward others in a judgmental manner...even into practicing favoritism...then I've definitely gone over the line. So I suppose the point here is that this message needs to be applied by each of us, with our own individual circumstances in life, as we honestly reflect on our own attitudes and possible prejudices...
