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.
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