James 2:1-9 - Don’t Discriminate

Opening Illustration: Gordon MacDonald coming to church.

Our text tonight is going to be James 2:1-9. Let’s go ahead and turn there, and get started by reading it.

”1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the Lord] of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”

Last week, I preached about phony religion from the end of James 1. Remember that James gives us three acid tests for phony religion—three ways you can spot real religion. They are:

• Keeping your tongue under control.
• Looking out for the poor and destitute.
• Staying away from worldliness.

What I didn’t tell you last week is that these are themes. Often, when I preach, at the beginning of the message, I’ll give you my outline, and then pray and preach through the outline. The old public speaking advice is,

Tell them what you are going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you said.

At the end of James 1, that is kind of what James is doing. He is giving us an outline. He’s telling us subjects he’s going to be covering in the rest of the book. Tonight, we are looking again at the middle subject: How we treat the poor and destitute.

Here are the three things we are going to cover tonight:

• First, there is a command against being a “respecter of persons”.
• Second, there is an illustration of that command.
• Third, there are four reasons for this command.

Let’s pray and we’ll get right into that.

Let’s start tonight with...

1. The command.

Verse 1 says:

”My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”

James is saying here, “Don’t be a respecter of persons.“ Being a respecter of persons and being a Christian don’t mix.

So what does it mean to be a “respecter of persons?” This is a phrase that is used several times in the Bible. It’s actually one very long Greek word (13 letters) that I wouldn’t dare try to pronounce, but it comes up many times in the Bible.

Basically, what it means is discrimination or favoritism. What James is saying here is don’t discriminate against people who are worse off than you and don’t show favoritism towards those who are better off than you.

If you were to do a Bible study of this word and look at how it’s used, you’d learn two things:

First, God isn’t a respecter of persons. God doesn’t discriminate. You see this all over the scripture. For example…

Romans 2:11 says:

”For there is no respect of persons with God.”

That verse is talking about salvation and mentioning Jews and Gentiles.

Ephesians 6:9 says:

”And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.”

Again, God isn’t a respecter of persons. It’s talking about status here. Employee/employer or master/servant. God doesn’t care. God doesn’t discriminate. He isn’t partial. He doesn’t show favoritism.

I saw a sign at Cracker Barrel the other day that said, “My family is God’s favorite sitcom.” I got a kick out of that.

The truth is that God doesn’t have favorites, and He doesn’t show favorites. God isn’t prejudiced. God sees fairly.

Aren’t you glad for that? Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t say, “You know what? I like the Jews more. I’m going to give them preferential treatment.” Or “You know what? I like left-handed redheads more, so I’m only going to save left-handed redheads.”

God doesn’t show favoritism. God isn’t partial. He isn’t a respecter of persons.

God reminds us of this for two reasons: First, because He wants us to know that His mercy and grace are available to anyone. Second, because He doesn’t want us to think we have some special claim that other people don’t have.

The second thing you would learn if you were to do a word study on the word “respect of persons” is there are basically three ways we tend to be respecters of persons:

The first way is racially or nationally. Sometimes our tendency is to like people from one country more than people from another country, or to show favoritism of one race over another.

If you are brutally honest with yourself, you’ll see that you do this. Everyone does this. Red and yellow, black and white—all of us show favoritism on racial grounds, but God doesn’t. God doesn’t like white Americans any more or less than black Americans, people from India, or people from Iran. God doesn’t respect one nation or race over another.

In the eyes of God, the Mexican working in the restaurant is just as much a beloved child as you are. The black kids playing in the street are just as favored as your kids. The Indians you have to talk to on tech support calls are on level footing with you.

But our human nature doesn’t want to see it that way.

So there is racial discrimination.

The second way you see “respect of persons” used is in status—things like employee and employer, master and servant, man and woman. There are different roles and positions in life, and sometimes our human thought is to show favoritism to people higher up on the social ladder than others. If a senator and a dishwasher were in a room together, you’d probably treat one better than the other.

Some of that is okay. Some of that is giving honor to whom honor is due. God isn’t against that kind of thing, but it gets dangerous when we think that because of status, you have a different set of rules in the eyes of God; that God will cut the pastor some slack because he’s a pastor; that the boss can get away with things in God’s eyes that the workers cannot. It doesn’t work that way. In God’s eyes, it’s actually the opposite. The higher you are lifted up, the greater you’ll come under the condemnation of God.

So there is status respect of persons and racial respect of persons. The third kind of respect of persons is economic: Respecting rich people more than poor people.

Apparently, in the churches James was writing to, there was a big problem with this because he spends a lot of time here dealing with it.

Let’s look at the second point tonight...

2. The illustration.

In verses 2-4, James gives us a hypothetical situation as an illustration. He tells us to imagine a church service where you have two visitors. One of them is very rich. He’s wearing a tailored suit, an expensive watch, and large expensive rings on his fingers. He pulls up to the church parking lot in a top of the line BMW 7 series. The guy is just oozing with class and obviously very wealthy and important, so the ushers see him and they clear out the best seat in the house for him to sit. People gladly and deferentially move out of their seat for him so that he can be comfortable in church.

Then the second guy comes in. He stinks. He has bad teeth. His clothes are all battered, ripped, and filthy. It’s obvious this guy is either homeless or very close to being homeless. Maybe he smells like cigarette smoke. When he comes into the service, no one moves over for him. No one wants to sit next to him. Maybe the moms lean over to their kids and whisper, “Honey, stay with me during handshaking time.” The ushers don’t try hard to find him a seat, and he gets the worst seat in the house. He actually ends up having to stand in the back.

After the service, everyone wants to shake the rich guy’s hand and welcome him to the church. No one says a word to the poor guy. He waits around awkwardly for a minute and then slinks out the back door.

That’s the picture James is painting for us here. Now be honest. Be brutally honest with yourself. It could happen here. You know it. I know it. We can talk a big game, but the proof is in the pudding. I can absolutely see that sort of thing happen in our church on a Sunday morning.

We fall under James’ condemnation here just like the people he was originally writing to. It’s a powerful illustration.

We are respecters of persons.

And James is saying to stop it. It’s bad. It doesn’t fit our Christian profession. It doesn’t go with the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. When we have “respect of persons,” there is a disconnect between what we are saying we believe and how we act.

So we’ve seen the command: Don’t respect persons. We’ve seen the illustration. Let’s look at the third point...

3. The reasons.

James gives four reasons why we shouldn’t have respect of persons.

The first is...

A. It shows your evil thoughts.

Verse 4 says:

”Are ye not partial within yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?”

I always thought this meant that we are judging the thoughts of other people, but studying this out, that’s not what that phrase means at all. The word “of” can describe what we are judging, but it can also mean “who have” or “described by.”

Actually, the word “of” isn’t in the Greek at all. It’s just “judges evil thoughts.” Personally, I think what James is saying here—and it makes a lot more sense—is that when you show respect of persons, you are becoming a judge and showing your evil thoughts. You are showing your partiality.

Maybe you want to look good to the rich guy. Maybe you think the rich guy can help you somehow. What James is saying is that there is some ulterior motive behind this. Your selfishness is on display.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I know what goes on in my heart, and I have to guard against this because I’m guilty here, folks. I might not act on it, but I want to. Rich people can move me along. Rich people can help make me successful. Rich members can help us build a bigger building, increase our offerings, and so on.

I’m just telling you the kind of things that go through my head. It’s not good. We have to fight against that.

The second reason James gives for why we shouldn’t discriminate is...

B. It’s usually poor people who are true believers.

The verse says ”Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”

This is an interesting verse, because in the middle of saying that we shouldn’t be partial to the rich, it’s telling us that God is kind of partial to the poor. At least it’s poor people who generally have an easier time trusting Christ and truly believing.

Jesus said, ”For where your treasure is their will your heart be also.” He said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to come to faith in Christ.

This is because rich people tend to be all set. They tend feel like they are on top of the world, and because they have so much to lose, faith is difficult for them.

But poor people, by contrast, sometimes have only their faith.

What I’m saying is that faith comes easier for poorer people. Jesus said, ”Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 5:3). It’s easier to be “poor in spirit” when you aren’t rich in this world’s goods.

So if that’s true, why be partial to rich people? If poor people tend to be the ones who get it—if they tend to be the ones who trust Christ—then why cater and bow to the rich folks?

So James was saying that when you are partial to rich folks, you are showing your evil thoughts, and you are going against who God is for. I’ve got two more points here and where are done. The third thing James said was...

C. You are lifting up the people who are putting you down.

Verses 6-7 say:

”But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called?”

Remember that this letter was written to the early Jewish Christians in and around Jerusalem. We know from the rest of the New Testament that these Christians had a really hard time. They were severely oppressed and persecuted by the Jews.

Apparently, the rich pharisaical Jews would use the courts and economic pressure as a way to persecute the Christians.

So these Christians were showing favoritism to the very people who were putting them down. It doesn’t make any sense.

One more reason James gives against partiality, and it’s a big one.

D. You are breaking the “royal law.”

Look at verse 8:

”If ye fulfill he royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”

This is James last advice to us here: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Whenever I read that phrase, it reminds me of the man who came to Jesus and asked him what the greatest commandment in the law was. Jesus said, “Love the lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

And do you remember the man’s follow up question? He asked, “Well, who is my neighbor? Who am I to look out for?”

Then Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. The point of the Good Samaritan was that we shouldn’t be asking, “Who is my neighbor?” but “How can I be a good neighbor?” and “Who can I be a good neighbor to?” We shouldn’t be asking, “Who do I have to help?” but “Who can I help?”

James calls this “the royal law.”

You see, most of us are looking at this thing all wrong. Most of us are trying to surround ourselves with people who are important, because we think they will help us when what we should be doing is trying to find people we can help and love.

Isn’t that what Jesus did? Jesus didn’t surround himself with the uppity-ups. Jesus didn’t have an entourage of celebrities. He chose fisherman and publicans to be His disciples. He spent time with the sick, with the destitute, with the lepers, with the sinners.

He looked for people to love, and He took that love all the way to the cross. I wasn’t Jesus’ neighbor, but Jesus was a neighbor to me. Compared to Jesus, I was the most beggarly of beggars. He was the King of kings and Lord of lords and I’m a nothing, and yet He didn’t just pay my way at an inn; He went to the cross for me.

Now, we as believers all have that testimony. All of us are saved by grace. All of us are wretches who have been touched by the grace of God. We are all like Annie—poor orphans living by grace in the house of Daddy Warbucks—only we are a lot worse off than Annie, and our Heavenly Father is both nicer and richer than Daddy Warbucks. Oh, and to make it all happen, our Heavenly Father had to send His only begotten Son to die.

So with that as our example and as the foundation of our life, shouldn’t we look for people to show the royal law to? Shouldn’t we be people who love our neighbor as ourself?

Shouldn’t we be looking for people to love, rather than looking to put people down?