Two guys are strangers. They arrive at the church at the same time. We know they are strangers because they didn’t know where to sit. The first guy walks in and he is dripping with wealth. Everybody knows he doesn’t fit because in the New Testament times all of the Christians were poor. Most of them were slaves. It says he has gold rings — literally, in the Greek, “he is gold fingered”.
Then comes the guy who is povertystricken. This is Bum Poorboy. He is destitute and shabby. He has holes in his robes and doesn’t have his shoes on. He doesn’t have any deodorant so he has B.O. and his hair is unkempt. He looks bad. The usher has to make a decision. Where will he seat him?
The usher takes the rich guy to the front row and seats him. This scene takes place in subtle ways in churches across America every Sunday. It happens in our personal lives in the way we treat people in our schools, jobs, homes and yes, in our churches.
The usher says, “Take this nice place. We want everybody to know you’re here. We want to take care of every one of your needs.” Then he says to the bum, “You can stand over there in a corner or you can sit on the floor.” Literally, in the Greek it’s “under my footstool.” It’s the ultimate putdown. He treats him carelessly.
James says there are three problems with favoritism.
1. Favoritism is unchristian. If you want to be like Jesus you can’t play favorites. “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” Faith and favoritism are incompatible — we’re a family. This word “favoritism” is used only four times in the Bible. Every other time it’s referring to God and it says, God does not play favorites. Romans 2:11 “God does not show favoritism” Jesus treated everybody with dignity. If there is one place in the world where there shouldn’t be any kind of discrimination it ought to be the church.
2. Favoritism doesn’t make sense. In v. 5-7 he says it’s illogical, it doesn’t make sense. In the first place, he says, God has chosen the poor. “Has not God chosen the poor to be rich in faith and inherit the kingdom?” He’s not saying that it’s good to be poor and bad to be rich. He’s not saying that only the poor will be saved. Everybody in this room is rich compared to the majority of the world.
Then he gives his primary reason in v. 8. Favoritism is unloving. That’s why you shouldn’t do it. “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, `Love your neighbor as yourself.’ you’re doing right.” If I play favorites I’m being unloving.
Few of us know how to love unconditionally. All we know is how to show favoritism.
v. 9 “If you show favoritism you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” How many laws do you have to break to be a lawbreaker? One. How many crimes do you have to commit to become a criminal? One.
James is saying that people think favoritism is such a small sin. But, he says, if you break God’s rule, you break God’s rule. Be careful it’s serious business.
