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Nate Roten / James Series / James 2:1–13
Main Idea
Like oil and water, favoritism and mercy cannot mix.
Unfortunately, one cannot rely on common sense these days, and these funny warning signs that must address an obvious issue serve to prove the point…
On a more serious note, there have been recent prominent pastors and teachers who have fallen due to moral failure in sexual integrity. Their fall should serve as warning signs to pastors and congregants alike that sexual integrity is an issue in the church today, and should not be ignored.
Today, there is a known issue that must be addressed. The same has been true throughout Church history, even from the very beginning. The growing Church in James’ day also had a proclivity to sin in a particular way, and he spends half a chapter addressing it.
Passage
James 2:1–13 (CSB)
My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” haven’t you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?
Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.
Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
I – A Familiar Evil (vv. 1-4)
Favoritism is a sinful bias. It prioritizes one person over another, and in this case, the prioritization is based on a person’s economic status. The scenario is two newcomers entering the gathered assembly for worship. One has wealth, and one doesn’t. The rich is exalted and the poor is humiliated. Discrimination is at the heart of favoritism, where someone is devalued based on something about themselves and is usually a surface-level characteristic. Racism is a hot topic in our society today and is the devaluing of someone based on the color of their skin. In this example, the devaluation is based on bank accounts.
Favoritism makes a sinful division in the body. God has made it clear that He doesn’t show favoritism. This was explained in various places in the Old Testament and expressly written in the New (Peter recognizes this when Gentiles are saved in Acts 10, and Paul would go on to write this plainly in Romans 2:11). This division cuts sharply against the grain of Genesis 1:27, which says we are all made in God’s image and by implication, we all have the same level of dignity, value, and worth. Secondly, this sinful division is the opposite of unity, which God desires for His one body of many parts.
Favoritism makes you a sinful judge. Sometimes, we are called to judge other believers within the church to identify sin and encourage restoration, but this isn’t one of those times. All you have done is put yourself as a judge based on a worldly condition, and God forbids such actions:
Leviticus 19:15 CSB
“Do not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly.
Favoritism is a familiar evil. Now, I say this is a familiar evil because we know it is there. We see it all the time, from our One-year-olds to our 100-year-olds. It is familiar in the sense that we tend to tolerate it because if we were to put it on a scale of 1-10 (1 being a tiny bit sinful and 10 being Hitler), most of us would probably list favoritism as a 2 or 3. After all, it’s not as awful as something like murder and adultery, right? But the hard truth we must discern is that we fail to recognize it for what it is: evil. Have you ever thought of favoritism as evil… an evil that begins internally in the mind, just like temptation does, and can easily come to full term and be birthed into the world like the other sinful temptations in your heart? Perhaps this is why James planted a seed earlier for Christians to do the opposite: for the poor to boast in their exaltation and the wealthy to boast in their humiliation.
WWJD. James reminds the Church that our faith is in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. His glory is His displayed attributes. Lord means He has authority, and Christ means He is the promised Messiah. Though subtle, James calls for us all to emulate the perfect Son of God, the high king of heaven, and the giver of ultimate freedom. Jesus never showed favoritism and certainly never prioritized the rich. He did quite the opposite by consistently exalting the lowly. He taught that the poor in spirit are blessed because the kingdom of heaven is theirs… that they may not have earthly riches, but they are abundantly resourced in heaven’s economy. When in doubt, ask the question that still exists on bracelets and car bumpers everywhere: W.W.J.D. – What Would Jesus Do? He would identify favoritism for the cancer it is and gut it out of the church.
But it is more than a cancer in the body of Christ. Favoritism also wars against God’s choice, law, and abundant mercy.
II – God’s Choice (vv. 5-7)
By discriminating against the poor, you are shunning God’s chosen people. James drives this nail into the wood with four strikes of the hammer… or four questions for the church to consider:
1. Didn’t God choose the poor? Weren’t they divinely chosen to be rich in faith and heirs of God’s kingdom? Favoritism is choosing who to give our attention to and who to avoid. The unavoidable truth of scripture is that God has chosen a people for Himself. In the Old Testament, that was Israel, a small and insignificant group of people God brought out of slavery in Egypt to display His glory through. Now, God chooses from every nation of the earth (just read Ephesians 1), but He has a special heart for the poor and lowly in His sovereign choosing. You can hear Jesus’ words echo through James: “Blessed are you who are poor because the kingdom of God is yours.” God likes to turn the wisdom of the world on its head. He uses the simple to shame the wise and chases after the poor in spirit instead of society’s elite. Jesus didn’t choose his 12 disciples from the Pharisees (though they were knowledgeable in the law) or the Sadducees (though they were the high society of the priestly lineage). He chose fishermen and tax collectors. Though they may seem monetarily poor and societal outcasts, they are rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom… adopted into the royal family.
2. Aren’t the rich the ones who oppress you? Why do you want to rub elbows with the very people who exploit the poor? Are you so desperate to feel important that you are willing to exalt those who take advantage of others? Is that who you want to be? Favoring them is already a sinful act… are you now going to be pulled into their selfish, evil schemes to financially benefit from the exploitation of others like you? Doesn’t God’s wisdom condemn such practices?
Proverbs 22:16 CSB
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself, and giving to the rich—both lead only to poverty.
3. Aren’t the rich the ones who take you to court? Aren’t they the very ones who have the means to take everything from you? Haven’t they done that to brothers and sisters in the church already? Doesn’t this demonstrate their love of money over the love of God or His people? As Jesus taught, haven’t they already chosen their master (money), who stands opposed to ours (God)? Why are you choosing the very people who have demonstrated that they are willing to take away everything you have?
4. Aren’t the rich the ones who blaspheme the name of Christ? James leaves the most egregious fact for last. Remember, his example is welcoming two different men into the church gathering. Whether that is in a synagogue or a home group is irrelevant. The vital piece to see is that this is a Christian gathering where Jesus is worshipped, and yet, you exalt the person who blasphemes His holy name! Wouldn’t the poor man in filthy rags be the one willing to recognize his lowly status and eagerly receive the good news of Jesus that would wash him clean and give him purpose in His kingdom? It’s not that James is encouraging the church to reject the rich man who blasphemes. In this story, both men need to hear the gospel that saves. The point is that their favoritism is compelling them to exalt and give special honor to the blasphemer and humiliate the one who is more likely to receive and exalt the name of Christ! They’ve got it entirely backward!
The answers are assumed and designed to correct the bad behavior in the church. All four of these questions were raised because they were happening in the church (oppression, being taken to court, and the name of Christ being blasphemed) or a truth about God being ignored (God chose the people you are rejecting). The sin of favoritism was prevalent in God’s people since He first called Israel to be his own. It was there during James’ day, and it is still a cancer that invades the body of Christ today. This is a call to examine ourselves. Do I favor people with worldly wealth over those who wear worn-out clothing, have dirt on their faces, grease in their hair, and drive 15-year-old cars? When I see them, what is my first reaction? Do I take one step toward them or one step away? We must be honest with ourselves because if we have favoritism in our hearts, we reject the people God has chosen to be His sons and daughters.
III – God’s Law (vv. 8-11)
Not only does favoritism cut against the grain of God’s choice, but it also rejects His law, and James points this out by quoting from Leviticus:
Leviticus 19:18 CSB
Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
The entire chapter of Leviticus 19 describes ways to fulfill the first command given in the chapter: “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, is holy.” And, as we’ve already seen, James extracts wisdom from Leviticus 19, showing how we should not show favoritism or partiality (v. 15), and quoting from verse 18 – love your neighbor. If you love your neighbor, it doesn’t matter if he has money or not. Love doesn’t judge based on worldly conditions. Love honors Genesis 1:27, recognizing that all humans are made in God’s image, and we treat them according to that standard.
And if this command sounds familiar, it is because Jesus also pulls from Leviticus 19 when asked what the greatest commandment is:
Matthew 22:37–39 CSB
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
But, going beyond a quotation of God’s law, James calls this the Royal Law. What does that mean?
I think James does this for two reasons:
1. This law is a summation of all the others. If you love your neighbor, you won’t sin against them in all the ways the law prohibits. So, in other words, this is a supreme command… one command to rule them all for all my fellow LOTR fans.
2. Jesus issued it as King. Not only did God the Father give the command in Leviticus, but Jesus gave it also, and He is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the one who wields all authority in heaven and earth. It is a royal law because our King gave it to us as a supreme command!
And, what’s more, if it’s a royal law given by a King to His subjects, and it is a law that can be broken, then that would make us transgressors. Favoritism is a sin that breaks this royal law to love our neighbor, making us transgress against the law. James doesn’t allow us to create a category of sin that is less egregious than others. There is no sliding scale. Favoritism isn’t a mild sin that could fit alongside little white lies that are distanced far away from murder and adultery.
Remember our little analogy last week of the law being like a mirror that reveals our sin? Well, think about what happens to a mirror when you break it. Even if you break it in the bottom left corner, doesn’t the damage stretch out like tentacles over the rest of the mirror? Breaking it in one place damages the entire mirror because it is one solid object. Likewise, if you break one law, you break it all because it is all God’s law. If you show favoritism, you are a lawbreaker. If you lie, you are a lawbreaker. If you murder, you are a lawbreaker.
Sin is sin, so if you think one lawless act is mild and another is terrible, you need to reorient your thinking and be transformed by renewing your mind. In God’s eyes, favoritism is just as bad as murder, so keep the royal law, or the Great Commandment, hidden in your mind and heart so that you will uphold it, not break it.
IV – God’s Mercy (vv. 12-13)
Another one of Jesus’ beatitudes was about mercy:
Matthew 5:7 CSB
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
James encourages his readers in a similar manner but with a slightly different angle. Mercy is still the main subject, but it is seen through the lens of judgment.
1. Speak and Act. First, he says to speak and act like you are being judged by the law. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, which implies you know the law and the consequences of breaking it, but James doesn’t hang on to the consequences as most Jews would. The OT law would have revealed their sin but had no power to save. But, the royal law is one of love and mercy. Jesus does save because He sets the captives free! This is why James calls the royal law the law of freedom. You were chosen and called by God to be holy when you were still in your sin… and God judges sin. Yet, He is also rich in mercy, calling us to leave our sins behind and follow Him. He gave us mercy instead of the punishment our sins deserved. Therefore, mercy must characterize the life of a believer.
2. Sow and Reap. This is why James says that if you show no mercy when you judge, you will not receive mercy. There is a concept here of reaping what you sow and getting what you give. Favoritism is a type of judgment… judging one to be worthy of your attention and honor and another worthy of being neglected. If you do this, God will allow you to reap what you sow, and if mercy is not sown, it won’t be reaped. Jesus also taught this principle in Matt. 7, when He said you will be measured by the same measurement you use.
3. Mercy Triumphs. Therefore, the final appeal is to see that mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy is at the core of the gospel. If sinful, biased judgment colors your interactions with other people (believers and non-believers alike) rather than mercy, you have some soul-searching to do. If you have genuinely grasped the mercy God has shown you on the cross, your acts of mercy prove that it has taken root in your heart.
Takeaways
1. Recognize favoritism for the evil it is, rebelling against God’s choice, God’s law, and God’s mercy.
2. Recognize the mercy God has shown you on the cross.
3. Live out your faith through the lens of the Royal Law, seasoned with mercy, thereby proving the reality of your faith.
Questions to Consider
1. How can we cultivate a mindset prioritizing love and mercy over judgment in our interactions with others?
2. In what situations do you find treating everyone equally and lovingly most challenging?
3. What personal biases or societal pressures might influence you to show favoritism?
4. How does reflecting on Christ’s example of mercy impact the way you interact with those who are marginalized?