Playing Favorites

Read James 2:1–3:12

1. My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2. For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes.
3. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well,
4. doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?
5. Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?
6. But you dishonor the poor! . . .
9. If you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. James 2:1-6, 9

Imagine yourself in a coffee shop with a bunch of your friends, having a good time laughing and talking. Suddenly, you see a disheveled person approach the table. Oh no, you think, he’s coming over here. What if he asks to join us?

In this passage, James confronts the Jerusalem churchgoers for having this kind of attitude toward the poor. He reminds them that showing favoritism to the rich while neglecting or slighting the poor is wrong. As James says in a roundabout way, you cannot judge a book by its cover. When have you played favorites?

A famous passage on a chicken-and-egg question also appears: what comes first, faith or works? Get ready as well for some giant-sized lessons on one of the smallest, yet most powerful, parts of the human body.

People of the ancient world had just as much concern for wealth and status as people do today. They wanted to be associated with rich people and undisturbed by the problems of the poor. Even some Christians would flatter the rich and dote on their needs while pushing aside poor people who came to church. James made it clear that Christians who understand their Lord live by a different standard: They dispense with the favor-the-rich custom and treat all people alike, regardless of how wealthy or impoverished they happen to be (James 2:1-4).

Jesus never showed favoritism toward rich people, and neither should we. Attempts to associate only with the financially secure betray a selfish, faithless, and uncaring attitude.

Make a point to show proper respect to all people regardless of the cut of their clothes or the size of their bank accounts.