This is a copy of my talk given at Ayia Kyriaki and Saint Luke’s in the Anglican Church of Paphos on Sunday 8 September 2024. The Bible reading was James 2:1-13
Prayer
Heavenly Father
I thank You for Your word
By the power of the Holy Spirit
May You speak to my heart
And change my life
In the precious name of Jesus I pray
Amen.
Introduction
We live in a world of preferences. People have their preferred food, shops, restaurants, music, etc. Favouritism has crept into our lives so much that it impacts on our decision making. We all have favourites.
Favouritism means: “Preferential attitude and treatment of a person or group over another having equal claims and rights.” In other words, it is unjustified partiality, treating one person better than another person because for some reason or another you prefer them. It may have with their gender, age, race, social status, economic standing, gifts and abilities, personality, education, occupation – even someone’s accent! I’ve certainly met with a lot of prejudice in the CofE over the years because I have a regional accent! But that’s a story for another time!
I’m not sure if you’re selective – it’s good to have a high bar – but if we are too selective about people, that becomes a problem. We tend to put everyone in one box or another. Some may call it unconscious bias! This morning, I want to speak about how Faith and Favouritism Don’t Mix
1. Showing Favouritism Is Sin vs1-4
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favouritism.” The Jewish people James is writing about coveted recognition and honour and vied with one another for praise. We have a similar problem in our celebrity fuelled culture. People clamouring for recognition can be found in politics, industry, institutions – even in the church. Some use/abuse their positions to enhance their own importance.
“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.”
The first guest is identified as a ‘man with gold rings’ or the second is identified as a ‘poor man in shabby clothes.’ ‘Shabby’, as it is used here, need not necessarily be understood in the sense of a homeless person, but as a man dressed in clothes soiled and stained from work. Here, James is highlighting the distinction in the way that the two visitors are received, the rich man is received cordially, and the poor man is received carelessly, if not crudely. The use of the plural (you) suggests that this was a general attitude of the whole church at the time.
It’s sad to say, but it’s easy to judge people on what we see outwardly rather than what they are inwardly. Dress, colour of skin, fashion, and other superficial things carry more weight than the fruit of the Spirit that may be manifest in a person’s life. People cater to the rich because they think they may get something out of them and avoid the poor because they are embarrassed by them. Always made a point of speaking to rough sleepers.
In vs4 James says: ‘Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?’ If a judge in a court of law were to allow himself to be affected by the clothing of the defendant, would he not be violating justice? Would it be an abuse of influence? Of course it would. Would we trust their judgment? Would we have respect for their authority? We probably wouldn’t. And for a Christian to show favouritism to someone on the basis of their outward appearance is no less wrong. 1 Sam 16:7: Man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
2. Believers Should Treat Each Other Equally vs5-7
Things and people are not always what they seem.
Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher, decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. She was travelling alone in a truck with a caravan in tow.
One afternoon, whilst rounding a curve on a 1 in 5 hill near Sacramento, California, in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she caused, no one seemed interested in helping. Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, ‘Please God, send me an angel …’ Within four minutes, a huge Harley Davison motorcycle drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms.
With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and moved her truck and caravan off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump.
The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to talk. Especially when she read the paralysing words on the back of his leather jacket: ‘Hell’s Angels, California.’ As he finished the task, she finally got the courage to say, ‘Thank you so very much,’ and carry out a brief conversation. Noticing her surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her straight in the eye and said: ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover. You may never know who you’re talking to.’ With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, jumped on his Harley and, with a wave, was gone as fast as he had appeared.
James invites his readers to adopt a new perspective in dealing with people and gives two reasons why favouritism is wrong.
a. Favouritism is wrong because it is inconsistent with God’s methods, v5: “Listen, my dear brothers: Has God not 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?” God saves us on the work of Jesus on the cross and not because of anything that we have/do, so that we can’t boast about it.
b. Favouritism is wrong because it is inappropriate given the conduct of the rich, vs6-7: James gives them a stern rebuke: “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?” In James’ day, it was easy for the rich to exploit the poor, to influence decisions at court and to make themselves richer. Sounds quite familiar, doesn’t it? Illus. UK – PPE vs Unemployment Benefit.
3. Love Your Neighbour As Yourself vs8-10
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favouritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” Love your neighbour as yourself, is called the royal law because it is the supreme law of human relationships.
Luke 10:25-2.89: An expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
Jesus then went on to tell The Parable of The Good Samaritan.
4. We Will Be Judged Because Of Favouritism vs12-13
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” James explains how:
a. We will be judged by our Words: What we say to people, and how we say it, even our careless words, will be judged (Matthew 12:36). Words have such power and we’ll that in ch3. But what we say has the potential to have a profound negative impact. I’ve been guilty of that recently.
b. We will be judged by our Deeds: (Read Colossians 3:22-25). It is true that God remembers our sins against us no more (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 10:17); but our sins affect our character and works. God forgives our sins when we confess them to Him, but He cannot change their consequences.
c. We will be judged by our Attitudes: James contrasts two attitudes here. If we have been merciful toward others, God will be merciful toward us. Someone said to me the other day, ‘I don’t condemn anybody, and so God won’t condemn me.’ But we forget that mercy and justice both come from God and are not competitors.
Conclusion
If one of the tests of our faith is how we treat other people: would you, or I, pass the test? We don’t have to look far to find people who are wounded and hurting. Some have been robbed by parental or marital failure. Some are being destroyed by living in today’s world. Some, sadly, have been let down by Christians/Church. They cross our path on a daily basis. But we never know when our opportunity will come to be their ‘neighbour.’ You have the power to make a choice to reject the negative and harmful practice of showing favouritism. You can choose to be an encourager. You can be someone who puts an arm round someone else’s shoulder and makes a lasting difference in their lives in the way the Lord has made a difference in your life.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER The text contained in this sermon is solely owned by its author, Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.
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