![]() ![]() ![]() James takes a moment to explain a present problem or a hypothetical problem that is likely to occur. The scriptures repeatedly tell us that God looks at the heart and does not show partiality (Deut. Jesus dealt with people for who they were as a person. Jesus did not treat people differently based on their education level, wealth, reputation, or status. When we think of the multitudes Jesus spent so much time with tax collectors and sinners that the religious elite condemned him. They were not men held of high esteem or status. Who did Jesus spend the majority of his time with? When we think about the apostles we recall that these were ordinary men. Jesus exemplified this truth while he lived on the earth. We are equal sinners before the Almighty God. If there is at least one community of people in this world where all receive equal treatment, it must be in the church! Who we are according to the world’s standards has no relevance at the foot of the cross. The world is full of these unfair judgments. ![]() I am quite convinced that we have been discriminated against by the state of Florida in our effort to get disability services to her because of where we live. We can be discriminated by our address or zip code. People are discriminated against because they are single, they are teens, or they are elderly. People are discriminated on the basis of wealth. People are discriminated on the basis of status and success. People are discriminated on the basis of race. People are discriminated on the basis of how they look. We live in a world that is full of favoritism and discrimination. A person cannot have prejudice or discriminate on the basis of a person’s status, appearance, or other external matters that are not relevant to our relationship with God. Having faith in Jesus and showing favoritism are not compatible. James begins with a very simple, yet powerful point. This is the issue that James is dealing with in this section of his letter. The Greek word that our translations render, "partiality" or "favoritism" was used by the Greeks in "the consistently negative connotation of making judgments on the basis of a person’s status, appearance, or other external matters unrelated to the merits of a case - in other words, being prejudiced" (BECNT, 136). The problem of favoritism and discrimination has been issue even back in the days of Jacob and Esau. One issue that plagues Christians is passing judgments based upon physical appearances. ![]()
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