James Chapter Two - Verse 1 and vv. 7

What did James know that will help us

There are substantial debates going on in the world - and in fact heated fights, beyond even arguments, over the fact of bias, over prejudice, over someone feeling they have been mistreated.  So isn't it appropriate, and outrageously so, that these thousands of years ago the one who lived with the one who created it all, would write about it?  

1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If 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,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: 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? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

James gets right to the point about how we have a tendency to treat those we think are wealthy in monetary ways, with deference.  At the same time he brilliantly illustrates how we also show a reverse type deference to those of less monetary value.  But the crux is verse 4.  In verses 1-3 James brilliantly paints the exact opposite situations to make contrast.

Now James moves in verse 4 to the crux, two things Christ had preached very strongly against.  One was aligning oneself away from Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, becoming instead a group apart from His leadership.  Then the second items having to do with not so much judging, wherein we realize we're precautioned against being judges with evil thoughts.  Jesus admonished us to "Judge not, and you will not be judged;" but here James heightens the charge with the added value of evil thoughts.

Now James turns to an almost theological treatise when he discusses how it might be that God would choose those with less means to be rich in faith and inherit the Kingdom of God.  What does that bring to mind?  How about Luke 21:4 wherein you will recall a widow how gave all that she had?  

Then we come to verse 6, and herein lies a question that was asked 2000 or more years ago, that seems particularly relevant in our day and time when it appears the wealthy are manipulating the ideas of the poor?  Now if James stopped there, he would have already assured himself a heated deacon session at First of Jerusalem, but James doesn't seem to have the subtle nature, or, maybe he does, and prefers just to let fly?  Verse 7 rings out about conduct- it isn't about what they think, how they react about faith, it's about how they are- don't they, by acting s they do about what God has given them, prove that they don't have an honest grasp of genuine Christlike behavior?  One of the toughest of all sections to analyze, but stick with us, it's only going to get deeper and one might say, cleaner.

James Chapter 2 verse 1

What did James know that will help us

Ever been standing in a line, waiting to go into an event, suddenly there is a bustle in the crowd, a limousine pulls up, someone you don't necessarily recognize steps out, before they do, the bodyguards precede them, opening the door to the limo.  And they are escorted to the door and then go inside, while you're standing there?  That's not to hard to take, because you're going to get in, right? But if adjust the circumstances just a bit, from an event, to something perhaps, slightly more important, say, an organ; and suddenly the idea or concept of deference to the wealthy, takes on a whole 'nother level of sting, don't it.  Now imagine that you're the wealthy person.  Flip the mirror a bit and you begin to see that something is askance, and it may not be you.

Let's spend only a moment or two on the subject of making a Greek text from a couple thousand years ago mean what it meant, and should mean and likely does truthfully mean, today.  First there are enormous cultural differences between a largely agrarian society and a technological one.  Second there are enormous differences between a village structured lifestyle built around a system honoring elders, and what we have today.  Third the sheer depth of economic differences, especially in America versus other countries; and the economic environ of Jerusalem in the time of James writing.

Now all that being said, there are therefore plenty of different translations of this spectacular thought available today, here is a sampling:

Berean Bible:  1 My brothers, as you hold out your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, do not show favoritism.

NIV 1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 

A famous motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar once commented that "life lived only for monetary gain isn't successful - money isn't all that counts, but it's right up there with oxygen."  So being paid deference because you possess wealth in merely monetary terms may be, strictly speaking, a downfall within itself?  Perhaps this is why so many of the worlds wealthiest and most successful people give their wealth away as philanthropists?  They are credited as having good hearts, even though, it is usually said that way, "Even though, they're wealthy."  

However in our modern context, showing favortism can amount to much, much more, as we'll discuss in the next entry...be sure to share this with your friends, if you like it, and comment yourself -