Tuesday, Nov. 13

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When he was a student, the famous Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, considered becoming a Christian. He read the Gospels and was moved by them. It seemed to him that Christianity offered a solution to the caste system that plagued the people of India.
One Sunday, he went to a local church. He had decided to see the pastor and ask for instruction on the way of salvation. But when he entered the church, which consisted of white people, the ushers refused to give him a seat. They told him to go and worship with his own people. He left and never went back “If Christians have caste differences also,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu”

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  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,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  Listen, my dear brothers: 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?  But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?  Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?  - James 2:1-7

You know I can’t help wondering what would have happened if the people in the church that Gandhi visited that day had lived and worshipped according to James 2?  That tragic story of Mahatma Gandhi illustrates the sin that James writes against in this text.  His focus is on the sin of showing favoritism to the rich and despising the poor, but his words apply to all types of prejudice, whether it is based on economic status, race, or anything else.  To favor some people and to disregard others based on outward factors is a terrible sin that plagued the early church in James’ day. It has plagued the church in every generation, because it stems from pride, which is endemic to our fallen hearts.

James actually gives us a kind of antidote to the sin of favoritism in our hearts right in the very first verse.  He says, My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.  Notice how he starts, he points us to the glory of Jesus Christ, this is why we are not to show favoritism.  We will never be able to see ourselves or other people accurately until we see the glory of Jesus Christ.  In the Bible, the word “glory” does not mean some kind of heavenly brightness or angelic light.  The Biblical concept of glory has to do with significance, weight, and importance.  In fact, the Hebrew word for glory is ‘kabod’, and it had to do with weight or heaviness.  In other words, we need to have a sense of the weight, significance, and ultimate importance of Jesus if we are to view and treat other people properly.

When we begin to see the true glory of Jesus, we see just how petty our distinctions between the rich and poor (or any other distinctions) really are. Even the most powerfully rich men on earth are nothing compared to the glory of Jesus Christ, the King of kings.

When we exalt people on account of their wealth or power or status, we rob glory from Jesus Christ, who sovereignly gives us everything that we are and have.  Rather than exalting the rich, we should exalt the supreme glory of Christ alone. We all are just His unworthy servants. Focusing on the glory of Christ puts us all in our proper place before Him.

Now, it is important to note that in the example he gives of the rich man and the poor man entering our worship service, James is not saying that the rich are categorically bad and the poor are categorically good. Some rich men are very godly and some poor men are very evil. But James’ point is that any judgments based on outward factors alone are wrong judgments, because they do not discern the heart. Only God can judge the heart, and so we are wrong to usurp His place as judge.  The truth is that favoritism, prejudice, discrimination, partiality, etc. have no place at all in the heart of the Christian.  The gospel makes it clear that we are no different and no better than those we would be partial to or discriminate against.  Jesus Christ did not play favorites when he died on the cross!  He did not die for only the rich, the talented, the faithful, the good, the attractive, etc.  He died for us all, because we are all poor undeserving beggars!  

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.   - 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Jeff Frazier