2:1-8 – Avoid Favoritism, Partiality 2:9-13 - Breaking the Law/ 2:14-17 – Faith in Action (with Works) 2:18-26 - Works Prove Faith |
1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.
2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes.
3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet,”
4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgements bases on evil motives.
V. 1 - “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.” -
This starts a long section (verses 1-9) in which James meets the problem of prejudice head-on. Part of the problem is that we tend to value others based on their financial status, or political power, etc.
“My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ “ - James sets up a premise, that is, people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord should act in certain acceptable ways. This is not a new concept in God’s spiritual ‘economy’. Throughout the Old Testament He expected the Jews to behave differently than the heathen tribes around them. Their worship of Him was to be different than the various pagan religions in the countries they passed through and conquered, or even those who conquered the Jews.
Recently in a sermon our pastor said that living as a Christian was 'weird'. He didn't mean weird in an "Adams Family" way, all spooky and creepy. God expects us to live and operate differently than the natural fallen world. He has a much higher standard of behavior for His believers. You will be an anomoly; don't shy away from that - check you ego at the door, and live for Christ, bringing honor to Him.
"You must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.” - I used to live in a town where your average white guy is the minority. It would be all too easy to be prejudiced. “They” do not look like me; do not speak like me. How do we see beyond the clothes, the cars, the houses?
- We ‘know’ that God does not put value in the physical beauty, wealth, or power.
- We believe, based on scripture, that these physical bodies will not transfer to the heavenly bodies; we receive new bodies to match the newness of life we have in Christ.
- None of the wealth or power we have here and now goes beyond the grave. When we accept Christ as our Savior we are given a new spirit, powered by the Holy Spirit. Our soul and new spirit will make the transition. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Cor 5:17)
V. 2-4 - “Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, “Have this best seat here,” but say to the poor man, “Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet. then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgements bases on evil motives.”
James sets up the scenario. You meet two different men. It is not possible to ignore the differences: one is obviously rich and the other not. These differences do not matter. But in almost all human-to-human interactions it is money, or the appearance of wealth, that changes the way we treat or react with others. This scene reminds us of the way black people were treated in the South - ‘back of the bus’, separate drinking fountains, etc., - cruel and evil practices. It is not a new phenomenon, see: “But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Sam 16:7) [See note 1, below.] [See Note 2, below]
Note 1: Samuel is evaluating David’s brothers trying to suss out who would supplant Saul.
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Note 2: James deals with rich people and riches in four sections of this letter; 1:10-11, 2:3-6, 4:13-17, and 5:1-6. ***
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