James 2:1-13 -isms of Every Sort

Depending upon the translation of the Scriptures that you hold, today’s passage contains a heading that mentions Partiality, Favoritism, or Prejudice. Are these all synonyms, or are the differences of nuance between these three? When Bible translators choose a word, it has a specific meaning and that specific meaning may or may not be what you think when you read that word.

One of the commentaries I read is the Bible Knowledge Commentary which is based on the New International Version of 1984. Since that is the translation the comments are about, it uses the word favoritism, but it clarifies by saying, “James condemned prejudice and preferential treatment”[i]which sent my inquiring mind down a rabbit hole of “what is the difference between prejudice and preferential?

I concluded that prejudice (from the words pre-judge) include drawing conclusions without knowing all the facts. On the other hand, preferential is drawing conclusions because you know something about the person or item.

I have a prejudice against sushi, even though I have never tasted it. I make a choice based upon what I think I know. I used to have that same prejudice against steak tartar, until one time Ann and I were the guests of some generous friends and our host ordered some as an appetizer. I tried it and now my steak preference has gone from medium-well to medium and I can enjoy a medium rare on occasion.

On the other hand, whenever I see company potatoes at a potluck, I get a big spoonful, even if I don’t know who brought them or what recipe they used.

I am prejudiced against Sushi but give preference to company potatoes.

James is saying when we treat people the way I treat my plate at a buffet, it reveals a poor view of what it meant to hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory.

Transition: The text before us exposes our favoritism/partiality in 4 different contrasts.

2 views of the Poor (James 2:1-5)

How do you view them?

V.2 uses the words fine and shabby to illustrate the difference. The word fine is the idea of bright white like a bride’s dress may be. The word shabby conveys the idea of my undershirts that are not at bright as when I opened the package because I have worked in them. I feel guilty when putting on a new undershirt because it hasn’t experienced work. It is the contrast between white silk/satin and burlap.

Give or Get? The example James uses unmasks our motives – Is that person someone I may be asked to give to, or is that person someone whom I might get from.

The most frequent word in this paragraph (4x) is poor. Indicating a situation that is prevalent for all of us.

Illustration

This is not saying that a dress is better than slacks or that a suit is better than jeans. As a matter of fact, yesterday I wore a hooded sweatshirt that cost more than any piece of clothing I am wearing today.

I’m just old enough to remember when getting a new pair of jeans meant walking in cardboard until they had been washed at least 3 times. And getting a rip meant the iron-on patch would be applied before leaving the house again.

I still recall when I bought my first pair of pre-washed denim. I remember when it became a status symbol to wear stone-washed denim. And I don’t understand, but I know that some women eagerly pay dearly to get distressed denim.

Just Thursday of this week I moved a pair of jeans out of my closet rotation because they became thread bare in a spot on one leg.

A particular member of the US Senate really likes to wear shorts, flip flops and a hoodie. Do people prejudge his ideas based SOLELY on what he wears?

Application

V.4, indicates a courtroom with judges. There was a difference between Roman courts and Jewish courts in James’ day. Roman courts were much like ours where an individual can put for the best representation that he can buy and fancier lawyers often had the advantage over those represented by what we would call a public defender. In addition, wealthy parties could choose the side with the best lighting or even on an elevated box. Have you ever seen one party come into a courtroom in a jail jumpsuit and the other side in a nice dress suit? The fancy suit presumes the “right” position. In Jewish courts, it wasn’t so. Both parties were on the same level and the wealthier plaintiff was required to provide clothing equal in appearance to his own for the defendant, or he would be required to dress down to the level of his opponent.

While we may judge the poor as somehow less (which reveals evil thoughts) (v.4), God chooses those who are poor to receive His kingdom. (v.5) because He views them as getting from Him rather than giving to Him.

Transition: The next 3 verses drill down into 4 reasons why the rich do NOT deserve your preference, partiality or favoritism.

2 views of the Rich (James 2:5-7)

You may find it interesting that the word rich never appears in this section, only a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing. Rich is a term that James only uses for unbelievers. James clearly speaks of someone in the synagogue who has the appearance of someone belonging outside the church.

How do they view you?

Help or Hurt? Human view always has in the back of the mind, “I will treat him well in case someday he may extend me a favor” The divine view is based on facts, not potential favors. What are the facts?

Those who belong in God’s kingdom don’t get there based upon wealth, but upon repentance.

Those with power and money oppress the middle and lower class. If not overtly, by not extending the same privilege as they enjoy (6b).

When you have trouble paying your bills or making rent, it is the landowners who file eviction or liens (6c)

The trust in their wealth/power more than the mercy and grace of the God who offers salvation and calls us by name. (v.7)

Application

Today we have an -ism for every situation: racism, classism, feminism, ableism, victimization, agism; the haves and the have nots.

In God’s family that is not the case! There is no room for identity politics in God’s kingdom. The ground at the foot of the cross is absolutely level and the only identity that matters is if you are in Christ or not. We are either in Christ or in sin.

Transition: We tend to avoid things that are “black or white”. We prefer shades of grey. Because we think that if there is room for negotiation we might be able to tip the scales of justice..

2 views of the Law (James 2:8-11)

How do you compare?

The word law (5x) is the most prevalent in this paragraph. Notice the 3 descriptors in the text: “royal law according to the Scripture” (v.8), law (v.9), and whole law (v.10).

We saw last week that the perfect law is the law of liberty. You may be interested to know that your Elders are examining the Scriptures to refine our understanding of the interaction between the perfect law, the law as it was given, and the law as it was practiced in Jesus’ day, and the law’s relevance to gentiles today.

Remember James was written by a Jewish man who grew up in a Jewish Home in a Jewish community some 2000 years after Moses came off the mountain with the law, before Jesus taught, and the New Testament was in popular distribution. The Pharisees had turned the law into something that Moses would not have recognized. And James must have had a revised understanding of the good and the bad of various interpretations.

There were some understandings of the law that Jesus actually made more strict – adultery into lust (Mt 5:28) and murder into anger (Mt 5:21-22), and wrongful divorce creating adultery (Mt 19). There were other things that Jesus seemed to lighten up – diet (Mt 15:11) and the death penalty for the woman caught in adultery (John 8)

During early days of the church (before James would have been written), Jewish Apostles clarified misunderstandings about circumcision (Acts 15:1), worship days (Rom 14:5), and bargain meat (1 Cor 8).

Some, Most or All?

Almost 20 years ago my doctor ran some tests and told me I was pre-diabetic, about 2 years later he said I had crossed the line into borderline diabetic. Then a couple years after that my blood sugars were out of control, my pancreas couldn’t keep up and I was full-blown diabetic.

On the other hand, rather than a process that took years after decades of poor choices. There have been times when I went in with suspicion of some infection and the culture came back TNTC. Have you ever been told a medical test was TNTC? Those 4 simple letters indicate “too numerous to count”. No pre-, no borderline, a simple you’ve got it and you’ve got it bad

3. Verses 8-10 describe the law as the royal law (v.8), the law (v.9), and the whole law (v.10). v.11 indicates that the individual requirements of God’s law all came from 1 source so when it comes to guilt or innocence you are either negative or TNTC.

4. If we are tempted to think of favoritism as a “little sin”, James ties partiality/failing to love neighbors as yourself to adultery and murder which were both capital offenses deserving of death!

Illustration

1. Do you have a “spotless driving record” or has your driving always been perfect? “rolling stop”? maintain lane? Unsafe for conditions?

2. Many of us like to think of justice as our “good” on one side and our “bad” on the other and we hope it evens out. But that is not what v.10 describes!

3. No matter how much you empty your pockets, no matter how many layers you take off, no matter if you exhale or hold your breath, the lever is not coming off the bottom until someone moves the counterbalance!

Transition: ALL persons, both the person in shiny clothes and the person in dingy clothes is a transgressor under the law.

2 views of Justice (James 2:12-13)

the Law of Liberty

For me or thee?

Do you see yourself on one side of the Judgment wave or the other? Do you see others (no matter what -ism they identify) as needing mercy or having obtained mercy?

Illustration

1. It is too easy to want, expect or demand one thing for ourselves that we fail to extend to other.

My friend Colby, who preached here last August, has a quick wit and uses it to make observations on his social media. This week he made this post.

2. This is not an indictment on Detroit or it’s newspaper. They are following a common practice of big newspapers, including the KC Star and the Wichita Eagle Beacon. The irony is that the name (identity) of Detroit’s news service exposes the double standard.

3. The press demands free access to news sources and claims freedom to express whatever opinions they have, but they insist on demanding payment to access their opinions.

From the nickel that used to be given to the boy on the sidewalk to the automatic debit to read on an app or website. Media does not extend to readers the same liberties they insist for themselves.

Application

If the law (either Mosaic/Whole, Pharisaic, Royal, Perfect, Whole or Liberty) all judge us and others as transgressors, we only have one possible response to our real situation – receive (v.12) God’s mercy!

Our call in this passage is to show (v.13) the same mercy we have been shown; because mercy triumphs over judgement.

Conclusion:

If we approach each person we meet as an opportunity to demonstrate love, we’ll make good progress at putting away favoritism from our midst.

Transition to the Lord’s Supper

There is perhaps no greater picture of being shown and showing mercy than is found at the Lord’s Table.

The abundant bread, representing the body of Christ, is available to all who receive salvation, regardless of social status or appearance. The sufficient wine, reminding us of the blood of Christ on Calvary, covers all sin and imputes God’s righteous standard.

If you have repented of sin and received God’s free gift of salvation, we invite you to share this meal with us as we recount God’s abundant mercy. If you have not received this gift for yourself, today can be your day of salvation, when you move from under judgment to being within mercy.

As the music plays, I call on you to reflect upon God’s mercy and to respond as the Spirit of God prompts while the Elders distribute the elements. I ask you to hold the bread until all have been served so that we may partake in unison as it was 1 death, of 1 Savior that merited our forgiveness.

Benediction:

[i] Blue, J. Ronald. 1985. “James.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:824. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

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