Rich and poor
This week is another angle of perspective on James 2:1-9:
People used to naturally gravitate towards rich successful looking people. They figured they could get a handout from them, or protection, so they would offer them the best seating and stuff. Now people are afraid of being judged for favoring rich people, so they favor poor people instead. But that doesn't really solve the problem. What is the difference morally between the rich man who uses his advantage to gain a million dollars which he then spends on a shark tank instead of helping his neighbors, or the poor person who spends their money on cable TV and fancy shoes, putting themselves in a position where they need to take money from their neighbors in order to buy food, housing, and medical care? Both are selfish. Both are unhelpful to be around. Both make bad decisions. Why choose one over the other?
Or what about if someone new shows up who you know will never come back. Maybe they're of a different religion and are just being there for a relative or friend, or maybe they're from out of town. Is that person a worse investment than someone who may stay? What if the first gets a huge amount out of the five minutes you spend with them, and is touched for life, while the second just shows up to show up, and won't benefit from anything you invested? How can you tell? Only God knows that stuff in advance.
Showing favoritism is putting yourself in the position of "separating sheep from goats". That's God's job. We just need to love others like we love ourselves. If everyone is precious and worthy of your attention, you don't have to worry about favoritism. How do you tell great from great?
Favoritism is selfishness. "I like him because he likes me." "I like her because she's pretty." "I like them because they are like me." "I like her because she gives me money." "I like him, because when I help him, I feel all spiritual." It's all about us. I could go on all day. The best reason to like someone is because God made them. God makes cool stuff.
Selecting people based on how well they'd fit the needs of the existing church was a big enough problem in the early days that James had to address it. Churches need money in order to operate, and they needed powerful people to protect them from the Roman government. It would seem prudent to favor these things, except for the fact that people are more valuable than Church. You're not here to make your life or your church bigger and better. You're here to represent God's love.
I was surprised to read James' revelation that favoritism is sin, but I suppose that if you have ever been rejected or spurned because of who you are, you'd probably agree with him that it is. Would Jesus ever say "I don't want you, because this other person is more spiritual, gives more money to the church, etc?" We're supposed to be his representatives, so on every point that we differ from his accepting nature, we're bad representatives.
If you're like Jesus, you'll love the pizza delivery guy who is just there for his money as much as you'll love the rich guy who comes with his family and is looking for a hat to dump his fistfuls of tithe money into. You'll love the crack head as much as the cool guy with the cute kids. Love is for all people, not just those you'll get something back from. It's not your world or your church. It belongs to God.
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 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," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?Somebody new comes into your life, like into your church. Chances are you'll naturally judge who they are in the first couple minutes you see them. "This guy looks creepy." "That guy has rich clothes, so he's probably out of touch and kind of entitled." "That girl looks poor and unkempt, so she's probably lazy and needy." "That guy smells like crack and keeps shuffling around, so he probably has addiction and mental health issues." It's a natural process to make guesses about things we don't know for certain. The problem comes in when we begin to value people differently based on those assumptions.Listen, 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? But 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? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
People used to naturally gravitate towards rich successful looking people. They figured they could get a handout from them, or protection, so they would offer them the best seating and stuff. Now people are afraid of being judged for favoring rich people, so they favor poor people instead. But that doesn't really solve the problem. What is the difference morally between the rich man who uses his advantage to gain a million dollars which he then spends on a shark tank instead of helping his neighbors, or the poor person who spends their money on cable TV and fancy shoes, putting themselves in a position where they need to take money from their neighbors in order to buy food, housing, and medical care? Both are selfish. Both are unhelpful to be around. Both make bad decisions. Why choose one over the other?
Or what about if someone new shows up who you know will never come back. Maybe they're of a different religion and are just being there for a relative or friend, or maybe they're from out of town. Is that person a worse investment than someone who may stay? What if the first gets a huge amount out of the five minutes you spend with them, and is touched for life, while the second just shows up to show up, and won't benefit from anything you invested? How can you tell? Only God knows that stuff in advance.
Showing favoritism is putting yourself in the position of "separating sheep from goats". That's God's job. We just need to love others like we love ourselves. If everyone is precious and worthy of your attention, you don't have to worry about favoritism. How do you tell great from great?
Favoritism is selfishness. "I like him because he likes me." "I like her because she's pretty." "I like them because they are like me." "I like her because she gives me money." "I like him, because when I help him, I feel all spiritual." It's all about us. I could go on all day. The best reason to like someone is because God made them. God makes cool stuff.
Selecting people based on how well they'd fit the needs of the existing church was a big enough problem in the early days that James had to address it. Churches need money in order to operate, and they needed powerful people to protect them from the Roman government. It would seem prudent to favor these things, except for the fact that people are more valuable than Church. You're not here to make your life or your church bigger and better. You're here to represent God's love.
I was surprised to read James' revelation that favoritism is sin, but I suppose that if you have ever been rejected or spurned because of who you are, you'd probably agree with him that it is. Would Jesus ever say "I don't want you, because this other person is more spiritual, gives more money to the church, etc?" We're supposed to be his representatives, so on every point that we differ from his accepting nature, we're bad representatives.
If you're like Jesus, you'll love the pizza delivery guy who is just there for his money as much as you'll love the rich guy who comes with his family and is looking for a hat to dump his fistfuls of tithe money into. You'll love the crack head as much as the cool guy with the cute kids. Love is for all people, not just those you'll get something back from. It's not your world or your church. It belongs to God.
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