No Partiality
James: A Letter from Jesus’ Brother
No Partiality -- James 2:1-7
In John 13 and 17 Jesus said that as a result of His work in our hearts, our love for each other would be so amazing that it will convince people that Jesus came from God. The reason I mention that is because in James 2:1-7 James tells us about one way our love can become that amazing. Let’s turn to James 2. If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we’ll bring one to you. James 2 is on page 1011 in the Bibles we are passing out.
James was Jesus’ brother, who became a key leader in the Jerusalem church. When persecution broke out at around 42 AD, many of the Jerusalem believers fled into northern Palestine and Syria – with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, leaving behind homes and businesses and possessions. So James writes this letter to encourage them to keep trusting Jesus.
So in chapter one James urges them to count their trials as great joy; he calls them to ask Jesus for the wisdom they need; he urges them that social status is not ultimately important; he calls them to fight the sin in their hearts by means of God’s Word; and he urges them to care for the widows and orphans in their midst.
Then here in chapter two James talks about how they are to love each other and relate to each other. Look at what He says in ch.2 v.1 --
1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
James calls them, and us, to show no partiality. So what does it mean to show partiality? And the best way to answer questions like this that come up as you are reading the Bible, is to keep reading to see if the author answers it himself.
And right here in vv.2-4 James tells us what he’s talking about:
2 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?
So partiality means treating people differently because of factors like social standing or wealth. Followers of Jesus should not treat people differently because of social or economic factors – we should not show partiality.
So is this something any of us struggle with? Imagine that this morning at 5 minutes to 10 Mike Singletary and his family walk into our church. Mike Singletary loves Jesus, he’s the coach of the 49ers, and he lives in this area. So imagine that this morning Mike Singletary walked into Mercy Hill.
What thoughts would go through your mind? How would you feel? Would you be excited? Would you think that it would be amazing to have Mike Singletary as part of our church? Would you think he would give added prestige to the church – or that he could help the church in some way?
So how would you respond? Would you make sure someone welcomes them? Would you come and find me or one of the other elders so that we could be sure to welcome them? Would we maybe publicly welcome him during the sharing time?
OK. Now let’s rewind the tape. Imagine that at 5 minutes to 10 a man walks in pushing his grocery cart full of his stuff. He loves Jesus, is obviously homeless, and very poor. But he walks in, pushing his cart; parks his cart there at the back, and comes in and sits down.
What thoughts would go through your mind? How would you feel? Would you be excited that he was here? Would you wish he had chosen another church? Would you be afraid that his being here might keep some people from liking our church?
And how would you respond to him? Would you make sure someone welcomed him? Would you find one of the elders so we could be sure to welcome him? Would we maybe publicly welcome him during the sharing time?
Do you see how we would all be tempted to treat the Singletarys differently from this homeless man? We would all be tempted to show partiality. Partiality means treating people differently because of social or economic factors, or maybe also because of disability or health issues, race, age, or personality. And we are all tempted to show partiality.
But imagine how powerful it would be if the homeless man was welcomed and loved just as much as Mike Singletary and his family. Or if a developmentally disabled person was welcomed and loved just as much as Mike Singletary and his family. Or if a very old person, or a 5 year old child was welcomed and loved just as much as Mike Singletary and his family. That’s the kind of love Jesus enables us to have. That’s the kind of love that will show people that Jesus came from God.
So how can we do that? How can we love without partiality? In vv.1-7 I found three truths about Jesus which, if we will embrace them, will change us so we will love without partiality.
First, that Jesus Himself will bring you everything you need. See, one reason we show partiality is because we’re trying to get something from someone – like money, or recognition, or emotional strokes. So if Mike Singletary became part of our church, that could give us more prestige as a church, maybe it would get us some season tickets, who knows. But that’s why we’d be tempted to show him partiality.
This would have specially been true for James’ readers. Remember the predicament they faced. They were homeless refugees, with most of them probably living in caves or tents, very little money, wondering where they’d get their next meal.
So think of how it would have impacted them to have an owner of a couple chariot dealerships come into their church gathering. This person could give some of them jobs. He could contribute to their benevolence fund. He could give them protection and connections with important people. And so they would be tempted to give him special treatment so they could get these things from him.
But James’ readers don’t need to do that – and we don’t need to do that. Why not? Look again at v.1 --
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
See, there’s a connection between not showing partiality, and trusting Jesus Christ. What’s the connection? It’s that we don’t need to try to get things from others by showing partiality, because we trust that Jesus Himself will bring us everything we need.
Let’s do a comparison between someone over here – to whom we’re tempted to show partiality – and Jesus over here. Maybe this person is wealthy or has got connections or gives us status or emotional strokes. But how much can that person do for us compared to what Jesus promises to do?
Think about Jesus. He is fully man, but He’s also fully God. He’s always been. He came to earth as a man 2,000 years ago; He lived, He died, and He rose again, and He’s alive today – so He’s at work in our lives today.
And we see Jesus’ power in the way He lived when He was here on earth. Jesus spoke a word, and eyes that were blind, dead, saw nothing – were opened. He took five loaves of bread and two fish and He multiplied them into enough food for thousands of people. So Jesus, as God, has infinite power.
And Jesus, as God, has heart-satisfying love – so much that when people trusted Him they were completely filled and satisfied with His love. Knowing Jesus, beholding Jesus, being loved by Jesus completely satisfies the emotional needs of our hearts.
But how can sinful people like us receive anything from Jesus? It’s because He died on the Cross to be punished for sin. So the moment you turn back to Jesus, and receive Him as your Savior, Lord, and all-satisfying Treasure – you are not only completely forgiven, but from that point on Jesus Christ promises to give you everything you need – He Himself will provide for all your financial and emotional needs.
So Jesus has infinite power, and heart-satisfying love, and promises to give us everything we need. So compare Jesus with this person you’re tempted to show partiality to. There’s no comparison.
So imagine that you were one of James’ 1st century readers: very poor, barely feeding yourself and your family. Can you feel why, if a rich person walked in, you’d be tempted to show them partiality?
But can you feel how your heart would change if you saw that Jesus Himself will bring you everything you need? You’d still reach out to that rich person and welcome him. But it wouldn’t be so you could get something from him. It would be to show Jesus’ love to him. So you would not be partial towards him.
Second, understand that God has greatly honored many who are poor. So here we are at 5 minutes to 10 on a Sunday morning. And in shuffles a homeless guy who loves Jesus, pushing his shopping cart. He’s got dirty clothes. He’s unshaven. And he pushed his cart up here and sits down right in the second row. How would we feel? It would be easy to feel embarrassed; to wish he would go to a different church; to hope visitors wouldn’t be turned off and leave because he is here.
But James tells us that if that’s how we are feeling – then there is a crucial truth that we are not understanding. We are not understanding that if this poor person is trusting Jesus, then this poor person has been greatly honored. Look at vv.5-6a --
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man.
It’s not that God has chosen to save all poor people. The Bible does not say that. And it’s not that God doesn’t choose to save any rich people. God saved Matthew and Zaccheus who were both rich tax collectors. But James is simply stating that God has chosen to save many poor people. And James tells us this because he wants to shake up how we see those who are poor and lowly.
Think of the homeless man we’ve been talking about. James says that if this person is trusting Jesus, then God has given him great honor, because God has given this person rich faith and God’s kingdom as an inheritance. If this homeless man has been saved, if God has given him faith, then this man is infinitely more honored than Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and anyone else you can think of.
And if we would see this, it would change our hearts. So if, when you saw the homeless man walking into our gathering, how would you feel about him if you realized that Jesus had set his affections on this man before the foundations of the world, and that Jesus chose to change his rebellious heart and give him the infinitely valuable and everlasting inheritance of being with Him forever?
Or think about a 4-year old in our children’s ministry who loves Jesus. How would you feel about him if you understood that Jesus bought this 4-year old with His blood, transferred him out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His love, and that this 4-year old has been adopted by God the Father forever?
Or think about a developmentally disabled person who loves Jesus. How would you feel about him if you understood that Jesus gave his life as a ransom for this man, that Jesus’ love for this man moved Jesus to go to the Cross, that Jesus gave his life to bring this man to God – and that this man now knows the living God and has God as His Father forever?
When we understand that God has greatly honored many who are poor and lowly, we won’t be partial against the poor and lowly.
Third, and really briefly – James wants us to understand that anyone we rely on instead of Jesus can harm us. You can see that at the end of v.6 and all of v.7 –
Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
There’s nothing wrong with having people in your life who have money, or influence, or prestige. And Jesus could use them to bring you great good. But James wants us to understand that anyone we rely on more than Jesus can harm us.
How many of you have relied on someone for a job, or for emotional support, or for connections – and been disappointed? Enough said. But Jesus will never, ever disappoint us.
Now let me close with one last question -- is this really possible? Is it really possible to become a people whose love is free from partiality? Where a homeless person is loved as much as a Mike Singletary? Where a 90-year old in a wheelchair is loved as much as a healthy 20-year old? Where we do not treat people differently because of social or economic or demographic or physical factors?
It is possible. Not by gritting our teeth and just trying harder. But my embracing these truths James has given to us. By trusting that Jesus Himself will bring you everything you need; understanding that God has greatly honored many who are poor; and understanding that anyone we rely on instead of Jesus can harm us.
And let me prove that it’s possible. In A.D. 133, a Christian wrote a letter to the Roman Emperor giving him reasons why he should trust Jesus Christ. And most of his reasons had to do with the lifestyle of followers of Jesus. And in one paragraph he talked about the ways followers of Jesus cared for the poor and disenfranchised. Here’s what he wrote:
The Christians, O King, have the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ engraved on their hearts, and they keep them, looking for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
They don’t despise the widow, and don’t grieve the orphan. The one who has gives generously to the one who does not have. If they see a stranger, they bring him under their roof and rejoice over him, as if it were their own brother. And if there is a man among them who is poor and needy, and they don’t have extra money, they fast two or three days so they can supply him with what he needs. (paraphrased from John Piper’s quote in A Godward Life, pp.303-304)
This happens as we embrace Jesus as the One who will give us everything we need; the One who greatly honors many who are poor; the One who will never disappoint us. So embrace Him, trust Him, and never show partiality again.