James 2:1-9 (New International Version)

Favoritism Forbidden

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ (NLT)
Believers in . . . (NIV)
Hold the Faith . . . (ESV)

This Faith: it’s a gift

Ephesians 2:6-9 (New International Version)
6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

We couldn’t earn it. We couldn’t work for it. We’re living in “the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”

Faith . . . in Jesus.

Philippians 2:5-8 (New International Version)
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Isaiah 53:1-5 (New International Version)

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

“Jesus of Nazareth”

Jesus was from a rural town (Nazareth) from an unrespected region (Galilee). The people had accents, and were seen as uneducated and backward, like a prejudice against people from the south today.

When Nathanael (future disciple) hears Jesus is from Nazareth:
John 1:46
"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

Religious people responding to Jesus followers:
John 7:52
They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

People’s response to the disciples’ first sermon, the first in scripture:
Acts 2:7 (NIV)
Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

Jesus: unremarkable, humble, poor, born in a stable, working class, from a disrespected regional group, dying as a criminal. That’s who we follow.

It is inconsistent and hypocritical for Christians, followers of Jesus, to make judgments or discriminate against anyone based on outward appearances and differences.

Christians believe that all benefits of our faith can come only as a gift based on God's love alone. Favouritism is against the very core of our faith.

James’ example:

2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Original Greek
Fine Clothes = shiny
Shabby Clothes = dirty ie. excrement

Their difference is outward and obvious.

(rhetorical question)
IF you discriminate, THEN you have become judges with evil thoughts (intentions).

What intentions would we have to favour one group over another? CONSIDER . . .
Somebody smelly. Or poor. Or Native (that’s a real, common prejudice, let’s call it out). Or disabled. Or loud. Or uncomfortable.

What group do you/we discriminate against? For what intention?

(Selfishness. Fear. Pride . . . )

To place some special value or distinction on one group of people over another is wrong. James calls it evil.

5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

It’s easy to gloss over verse 5. Another rhetorical question.

God HEARS THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED.
(listen to last week's message exploring the themes of James 1:27)

Exodus 2:23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
Exodus 3:9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

God calls himself “The God who brought you out of Egypt” dozens of times throughout the Old Testament - More often than any other name of title.

My friend wants me to make him a zine of “progressive” Bible verses. Starting with verses about God favouring justice for the poor and oppressed alone, and this zine would have to be at least twenty pages.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Deuteronomy 10:17-18 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Exodus 22:22-24 Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

Don’t mess with the poor. Seriously. God cares about the poor.

When we judge the poor, the dispossessed, the marginalized, and treat them as valueless or not worth helping, we are going the exact opposite direction that God is, and we need to repent.

Matthew 25:31-46 (New International Version)

The Sheep and the Goats

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

When we move toward the poor and the lonely, we move where God is moving. We agree with the things that God does, and we follow his desires.

When we move toward the poor and the lonely, we move toward Jesus himself. You want to see Jesus? Look into the face of the man asking you for money downtown.

When you become a follower of Jesus, his spirit unites with ours. By serving “the least of these” we have the opportunity to minister to Jesus, through Jesus. This is the evidence of a follower of Jesus.

The longer you know Jesus, the more you should be loving, serving, and surrounded by marginalized who need justice. This is what a Christian looks like.

Why would we spend time with shiny, popular people who make fun of Jesus or faith rather than poor people who God desires justice for? Because we hope to receive their favour. We favour them hoping they’ll favour us. We want to be shiny, too.

Ephesians 2:6-9 (New International Version)
6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

If we’re trying to gain riches or favour from shiny people, we don’t truly believe we’ve received it from God. We’re not acting like God’s word is true. We’re not caring about the things God cares about. We’re putting this temporary favour ahead of God’s truth. We’re lawbreakers.

8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Love your neighbour as yourself. Who is my neighbour?

Good Samaritan Parable
Luke 10:25-37

Samaritans – A hated race of people. Jesus chose a Samaritan because of the common racism against them. What if it were a Cree person? A Palestinian?

If there is a certain people group that you particularly dislike, or have difficulty being around, or are less likely to have compassion for, start seeking them out. As you begin serving them and loving them as God does, you will begin to see in their faces the true face of Jesus.