Do we have favourites? (James 2:1-13)
Billy Milton - February 11, 2007
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Who can remember standing in the playground as a kid waiting for the teams to get picked to play football or netball or some other sport? There was always that kid that was left to the very last. No one wanted them on their team. “You have them. No you have them.” And the poor kid was left in no doubt that they were rubbish. And it still goes on today. Kids around the world dread being the last one picked. I suppose someone has to get picked last but it is still humiliating, isn’t it? You can’t really blame the kids can you? Because they are only repeating what they see us adults do in life and, yes, even in the church.
James sees this as being a potential hazard in the church and so, in true James fashion, he addresses the issue head on. Don’t you think its amazing how absolutely spot on the message of the Bible remains even after 2000 years? We might be more advanced technically but the hearts of men and women haven’t changed at all and the commands of James still find a sure home in a wiling heart.
But as Victoria reminded us last week, he doesn’t want people who are high on theory and low on practice. He says in 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” So what does it say today? “Don’t show favouritism!” As I’ve said before, James doesn’t want us to miss the message because its intellectually too challenging, so four times (in vv 1, 3, 4 and 9) he tells us in simple words, backed up by simple illustrations, not to show favouritism or give special attention to, or to reject someone, because of their outward appearance.
ILLUSTRATION Esther and I at the Dixie Chicks concert at the Royal Albert Hall and meeting Kevin on the way home who looked odd, was a bit simple and talked in a loud voice. Esther being annoyed at me having to talk to him. Me telling her that we could be entertaining angels unaware. (Heb 13:2) He revealing as he left that his name was Mr.. DIVINE!
READ vv2-4 EXPAND the example of the fine rich man and the poor man.
This sin of favouritism must be near the top of the list of the most prevalent sins in the church today. Some modern versions translate it as snobbery. James makes it quite clear that it has no place in the church. Why? Well apart from the obvious that it causes dissension and division in a church the real answer to that question is …
1. It goes against the BIBLICAL example of LOVE.
Look at verse 1. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ,…”
COMMENT on the above verse. UNITY – “my brothers”; JESUS - Prostitutes, sinners, poor, lame, the blind. Jesus associated with, and loved, them all. If we truly want to live out our faith with integrity we cannot show favouritism. Rejecting those that Jesus loves is tantamount to rejecting Jesus!
Tell story of Joan visiting from Australia and us welcoming her because she was a friend of a friend. What would it have done to the relationship between us and our Australian friend if we had rejected her because she was an Aborigine? Favouritism has no place in the church because…
2. It is a by-product of SELFISH motives.
So often our view of people is clouded by what they can do for us. Maybe not immediately but in due course. We cannot call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ and respect others primarily because they are wealthy or influential. That’s why we should have no favouritism in our church. Notice though, its not the rich people who are being told off - its the stewards - the people on the door. It’s our perception of people that’s the real issue not the people’s relative wealth or poverty. Thirdly, favouritism has no place in the church because…
3. It is a SIN!
READ v9 I wonder if you’ve ever thought of favouritism before as a sin? Isn’t it just instinctive to like some people more than others? Well, yes but liking someone and showing them favouritism are two completely different things. I remember in primary school being taught by a formidable lady called Mrs. Naismith. EXPAND ABOUT HER SON IAN. Did she like her son better than the rest of us? I expect so. Did she show favouritism towards him? Definitely not, in fact almost the opposite. In the same way we might naturally be drawn to one person as against another for quite valid reasons but it doesn’t mean that they are to receive special treatment from us in a church context. We should not show favouritism in the church because…
4. It will simply highlight a BIGGER issue.
v10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all.” EXPLAIN ABOUT ACCOUNTANCY EXAMS.
Why do they do that? Well in accountancy it keeps the standard up and ensures that only the best get through… and me! In Christianity the law makes the standard so high that not even the best get through. No one gets through! Romans 3:23 says that ‘all have sinned and fallen short of the standard’. In regards to the law, if we were to receive our exam paper back, stamped across every one of them would be one word - failed! You could argue that you are really great at the not murdering bit, A+ even. And you might pick up a few A’s and B’s for not stealing and for honouring God and so on, but there’s a single D- for coveting and the whole lot is blown.
This is such good news for us! Let me explain why I would say something like that when it appears that to fail is blatantly bad news. First of all, if one person could succeed and keep the law perfectly then we all could and we don’t have a leg to stand on. The fact is that not one of us can come close to keeping all the law - we are all failures in that regard. So here’s the good news - God knows that you (POINT AT PEOPLE) broke the law this week. He knows every secret action; every secret thought; every public display of pride or whatever. In terms of the prize giving we are not at the Oscars. It’s a difficult concept for us to grasp, far less agree with, but for James, to show favouritism is as bad as theft or adultery.
But notice this lovely phrase at the end of v13, “Mercy triumphs over judgment”. Whatever your life has been this week when we turn to Christ for forgiveness we hear these wonderful words, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” I’m not suggesting that we don’t even attempt to live a Christian life and just attend confession once a week to get the slate wiped clean before heading out to willfully sin again. Not for a minute do I recommend that way of life. But I recognise that most of us do try to live a godly life but find ourselves succumbing occasionally to temptation. There is forgiveness for us in that situation.
Equally there is the exact same forgiveness for Mr. Poor Smelly Man that stands before God at exactly the same level as we do. As I said right at the beginning, James is being very practical and he expects us to respond in a similar vein. This has nothing to do with feelings. James expects us to exercise our wills in this matter and, when we are tempted to show favouritism, to resist and treat everyone as equal in God’s eyes. The Church is the one place on earth and the Christians are the one group on earth that should make life here equal. Because Jesus did at the Cross.
Don’t show favouritism! If we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ this is not a suggestion – it’s a command. We have an opportunity right away over coffee to do something about this. Why don’t you make a decision right now to step out of your comfort zone and welcome someone that you don’t really know? By doing this you align yourself with Jesus. Amen.