Day 4: The Sin of Favouritism
Read James 2:1-13
Context: What social and economic tensions within the early church might have prompted James to address favouritism so directly?
From what James writes both before, in terms of various trials, and here, in terms of the treatment of the poor by the rich, it appears that the rich were mistreating the poor, and to compound matters, the church folk were also showing partiality towards the rich by treating them much better than poor folks as well. Terms that could also be used to describe the situation include exploitation, miscarriage of justice and inhumane treatment based on financial circumstances. I’m so glad that is no longer the case in modern society because now we know better, and there’s absolutely no way that anyone could ever claim that the poor are being further marginalised and impoverished as the rich get richer and further exploit the poor. And we could never ever say that the church colludes with this in overlooking the poor, neglected, marginalised, oppressed and exploited in society because clearly the church is doing all that it can to reach, serve and love those in that condition … wait, I was dreaming.
Content: How does James illustrate the problem of favouritism, and what reasons does he give for why this behaviour contradicts the gospel?
Favouritism is displayed in a gathering where the rich guy is given a place of honour and the poor guy is relegated to a less prominent position, where he goes unnoticed. James states that this overlooks the social condition in which the poor are abused by the rich. He also points out that this pays absolutely no attention to the gospel dynamic that acknowledges the true riches of the poor and dispels the empty materialism of the rich. And then he slams home the point by stating that favouritism goes against the law of Christ, and, worse still, that one infringement of the law sees us breaking the whole thing. Reading it carefully, James essentially says that the favouritism is on a par with adultery and murder.
Concept: How does James connect showing favouritism with breaking God’s law, and what does he mean by the “royal law” (verse 8)?
The answer to this is identified in the knowledge of the royal law – you will love your neighbour as yourself. Why is it the royal law? It is the greatest command decreed by the King. It is the tails to the heads of the coin that Jesus says is the coin of greatest value. Heads says love God with all, and tails says love your neighbour as yourself. You cannot have one without the other because they’re part of the same coin. The way we express our love for God is how we treat our neighbour. And as Jesus helpfully pointed out, the neighbour is anyone in our sphere of influence to whom we can share the love of God. Mistreatment of the poor in the sphere of influence is a massive breaking of this royal law. The sheer inhumanity and abominable behaviour to look at the poor and suggest they should be disregarded is a smack in the face of the God who made them in His image. Doing that is to look at the coin of priceless worth and spit on it before throwing it away because clearly we dishonour God in such flagrant favouritism.
Conclusion: Where in your own life, church, or community do you need to examine and address subtle forms of favouritism or prejudice?
It’s important to me not to be complacent about the situation I’m in. I’d like to think I don’t play favourites on social and economic grounds. I’m very much aware of my past, where I held attitudes about the poor and needy that showed disregard for the royal law, and I’m grateful that I was challenged on that. I remain mindful to be open to rebuke and a call to repentance if ever I express aspects of that behaviour. In terms of the church community I belong to at the moment, I have not yet detected any sense of favouritism. What helps with that is that the majority of the church’s members would be classed as strangers, foreigners, and misfits to some degree. As well as that, there’s a love for each other and a love for people that permeates the family bond. That feeling, I’m sure, extends beyond us and is seeing us keen to reach the poor, marginalised, oppressed, victimised, brutalised, mistreated, exploited and abused in the desire that they are seen, known, loved and in a position to thrive. Once more, this is not a quality or value to be taken for granted. We’re not flawless, and the way we operate should be something we safeguard and cherish through constantly holding ourselves to the light of the Word of God and being corrected where necessary.
Next Up – James – Day 5: Faith That Works
Read James 2:14-26
Context: Why does James feel compelled to address the relationship between faith and works so emphatically in this section?
Content: How does James use the examples of Abraham and Rahab to illustrate his point about faith and works?
Concept: What is James arguing about the nature of saving faith, and how does this complement rather than contradict Paul’s teaching on justification by faith?
Conclusion: How can you evaluate whether your faith is producing the kind of works that James describes as evidence of genuine spiritual life?
If we love the Lord, we cannot afford to be blatant in the favourites we have in engaging with the rich and the poor. Thank God that this Word makes it clear. That’s another reason to get the Word In so we can get the Word Out!
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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