James Week Two - Playing Favourites
Reading - James 2:1-10
Preached on the 5th of September by Joshua Taylor
This week in the news we have heard fresh stories of racism, fear, and misunderstanding.[1]
The Assembly of God Church of Samoa has been one of the major clusters for the recent covid-19 outbreak here in New Zealand.
And it didn’t take long for people to start pointing fingers – blaming the community and making racist and derogatory remarks toward the Pacific community online and in various forms of media.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield rightly called these comments “gutless.”
This example is close to home, but sadly it is nothing new.
Throughout history we as humans have gravitated toward developing groups of “insiders and outsiders.” We gravitate to those who are like us, while setting up barriers for those who are different.
Today’s passage in James opens with these words:
“My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Show no partiality.
Those are challenging words.
And let us not insulate ourselves from these words too quickly.
Let us not interpret the challenge of James as something for everyone else – those racist people, or those snobby people, or those people who clearly are much worse than us…
I think it is important that we develop a humble and honest way of letting the scriptures speak to us – and to assume – that like the community that James was writing to, that we aren’t perfect followers of Jesus, that we face some challenges, and need help to be wise and loving.
I guess what I am saying is that we might be a little bit partial to partiality too.
Last week we explored James chapter 1 where we heard the challenge to “walk the talk” – to be doers of the word and not just hearers.
In chapter two James develops this thought further.
The big theme of the chapter is the connection between faith and deeds. Between what we believe and how we live.
James is famous for the line, “faith without works is dead”.
The relationship between faith and works has caused all kinds of debates in theological circles.
But here in James there is no analysis of the relationship between faith and works. James doesn’t agonize about which has priority but rather sees the inextricable link between the two.
If we have faith in Jesus this will be manifested in our daily life. The Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel put it this way:
“The dichotomy of faith and works which presented such an important problem in Christian theology was never a problem in Judaism. To us, the basic problem is neither what is the right action nor what is the right intention. The basic problem is: what is the right living?”[2]
I think this is true of James.
James is arguing for a consistency between what is said and done in the life of a Christian.
James 2 is a clarion call for integrity.
James writes to the church, challenging the partiality and favouritism shown amongst the people as they gather. Some are included and others rejected. There are insiders and there are outsiders.
This is a common problem addressed by the New Testament.
The book of Acts tells the story of how the Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus had to figure out how to live together as Christians with very different cultural worldviews. One of the big arguments, for example, was about what they could eat. There were arguments and then compromises as the people learned to live together.
Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth, addresses the issue of favouritism and exclusive attitudes in the church in chapter 11 of 1 Corinthians. He says:
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. (1 Corinthians 11:20-22).
Some of the wealthy members of the church were indulging in the food and wine as they gathered and excluding the poorer members amongst them.
It seems that similar divisions and snobbery were occurring across the church and so James lays down his challenge. He does so by telling a short and bracing story.
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? (James 2:2-4)
(v 2-3)
It’s likely that this story James tells isn’t a direct example of something that happened word for word but is a vivid caricature of the issue.
James’ story works like a well-crafted political cartoon. It grabs our attention in a shocking way – highlighting a crass example of favouritism.
The details in the story grab our attention.
The wealthy man wears a gold ring and fine clothes – signs of status associated with wealth.
The poor man wears shabby clothing.
It’s a similar comparison to the story that Jesus tells in Luke chapter 16 about the rich man who dresses in fine linen and Lazarus, the poor man who begs at his gate.
The contrast couldn’t be starker.
And neither could the reception.
In this story it seems that both the rich and poor man are visitors to the church. The rich man is given the place of honour, while the poor man is told to sit on the floor.
In the times that James was writing there was a definite social stratification from the rich and powerful down to the beggars and widows. Honour, power, and privilege were the upheld values of the day. One’s whole life was often devoted to attaining a status of honour. Reciprocal relationships in which there was mutual advantage in attaining honour were therefore important to maintain. Perhaps things haven’t changed all that much.
Riches and status are still of concern in many ways today.
The philosopher Alain de Botton, in his book called “Status Anxiety” says:
“The attentions of others matter to us because we are afflicted by a congenital uncertainty as to our own value, as a result we tend to allow others' appraisals to play a determining role in how we see ourselves. Our sense of identity is held captive by the judgements of those we live among.”― Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety
In other words – we still play this game.
We judge others and we too easily let ourselves be defined by the judgements of those around us.
We do this all the time, and mostly unconsciously. What school did you go to? What do you do for a job?
We cast our eye over one another’s vehicles or homes, comparing and contrasting.
The story James tells has as much impact today as it ever did.
It raises important questions like:
-What do we value and care about most?
-What’s important to us?
-What impresses us?
(v4) James follows up his story with a question which reads a lot more like an accusation. He says: “Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
This question unveils the deep issue at hand.
By making favourites, by maintaining social distinctions and casting aspersions, the Christian community are setting themselves up as judges over one another. Judges with evil thoughts, nonetheless.
By comparison, the Christian community ought to consider their rightful judge as God.
James 4:12 says “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and destroy.”
The problem is that we as people have flawed judgement.
We do our best, but we so often get it wrong.
We are biased toward those we know and love or like.
We make snap judgements based on first impressions and outward appearances.
But James makes the point that God is righteous and merciful in his judgements.
We on the other hand must be cautious.
Jesus’ teachings on judgement come to mind here. In Matthew 7 Jesus says:
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)
Jesus knows our propensity to judge wrongly.
This doesn’t mean talk of judgement goes out the window. Rather, James would draw our attention to the judge that matters – to God who will hold us accountable for our lives.
This message often makes us feel uncomfortable. We live in a “all roads lead to Rome” “You do you” culture – however James makes it clear that we will be held to account.
(v5-7) – In verse 5 James says “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters.”
That word listen is super important.
It occurs time and time again in Scripture as a call to hear what God is saying. [3]
To listen is to pay attention, let these words absorb into our hearts and then be moved to act.
James calls our attention to the fact that God’s kingdom is an upside down kingdom. God shows favour to the poor and needy.
There are multiple verses I could quote, but let me show you an example.
I have this Bible – it’s called the “Poverty and Justice Bible” – it’s put together by the Bible Society of New Zealand.
Right throughout this Bible any verse that refers to poverty and justice is highlighted in orange…
As you can see, there is a lot.
At the beginning of Luke’s Gospel – Mary sings a song about God’s faithfulness and love.
She says:
his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty. (Luke 1:50-53)
And so, there is a terrible irony that in the story that James tells, the Christian community have exalted the rich man and debased the poor man.
This is to misunderstand the nature of God’s kingdom in which God “showers his grace on those whom the world has discarded.”[4]
There is another layer of irony in that the church themselves have been suffering great persecution and often at the hands of the rich and the powerful who see them as a strange and inconvenient nuisance. After all – this church has been preaching a message of God lifting up the poor and bringing salvation to the broken.
(8-10) The royal law. (46)
James closes his argument by appealing to what he calls the royal law – the law of King Jesus “That you shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
It really is as simple as this.
Yet if we show partiality, we break this law and as James says this makes us transgressors who commit sin.
Sin is a relational term. To sin is to refuse to love God and love our neighbour.
To sin is to go against God’s will.
James says: “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
We, like the people James first wrote to are imperfect followers of Jesus. We too easily fall into sin, breaking relationship with God and our neighbour.
But the good news of the gospel is that there is mercy and forgiveness for sinners.
We are called to repent of our sin – to come before God seeking forgiveness and experience newness of life.
God is merciful and gracious.
James also reminds us that he calls us as a community to show grace and mercy – to be a loving and welcoming community, impartial in our treatment of one another. And if we are to show any partiality, we are invited to illustrate God’s special concern for the poor, the downtrodden, the broken-hearted and marginalized people of our world.
As we read James this week we may want to consider the following:
-How do we treat the poor, the marginalized and those that society rejects?
-How do we judge one another with respect to outward appearance and status?
-How do we let our own worth be defined by others rather than God?
The Holy Spirit has been poured out on us so that we might see the world like Jesus does – so that we might bear witness to the goodness of God in our community. This week let us come in humility before God afresh that we might hear the challenge of James to be impartial, to be hospitable, and to love like Jesus loves. Amen.
[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300395625/covid19-the-hurt-left-by-online-racial-hatred-towards-pasifika-people-who-are-already-suffering
[2] Abraham Heschel, God in Search of Man, 296-297.
[3] Scot McKnight, James: “The word “hear” or “listen” in the Bible operates at at least three levels: attention, absorption, and action. Attention refers to the ears being open and attentive to words, especially God’s words. A second, deeper level of meaning is absorption, when God’s people’s ears let God’s voice in so that it fills their being. The third level is action.”
[4] A phrase quoted from Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James: Pillar New Testament Commentary.