DON'T PLAY FAVORITES!

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 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. 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?

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

James 2:1-4, 9

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

People in the world are terrible today when it comes to passing judgment on others. It’s not surprising when we consider that Satan is operating with full power in this earthly domain.

But what should concern Christian believers is the number of professing Jesus followers who have allowed themselves to be influenced by the world’s ways, so much so that the way they behave shows they are in allegiance with the world more than set apart from it in holiness and righteousness as God and His word calls for.

We get a sense that this isn’t just a 21st century matter but rather one that has existed for the ages as we look at the opening four verses of James, chapter 2. For as the author, a converted Jew, writes to his Hebrew Christian brothers and sisters. We find him addressing the matter of favoritism. Look again at his words here:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 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. 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? Vv. 2:1-4

The very Word of our God couldn’t be clearer on this subject of favoring a person or group of people over another. The command to Christian believers is to “not show favoritism” and not means just that, not. It means don’t do it and if the Lord tells us not to do it, then we have no right to treat it as if it’s optional.

We’re not to show favor to people who are well off while brushing off and marginalizing those who aren’t.

We’re not to give preference to one or more members of our family over others. Parents aren’t to put a child or others above another. Ditto for siblings in the way they treat one another.

We’re not to discriminate by race, treating one person or group of people as better than another because of color or ethnicity. The same applies for religion or politics or age or gender.

Our Lord Jesus taught about this matter when He delivered a parable, one that should be familiar to most Christians. Let's revisit His words here:

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:30-37

The Jews despised the Samaritan people and given the opportunity would discriminate against them ten times out of ten. And yet in the parable, Jesus tries to teach the Jews that being a "neighbor" to others, loving them as you would love yourselves, means that you don't show favor of one ethnic group over another. For the two men who would have been expected to bring aid to the wounded Jewish man, the priest and the Levite, were actually the ones who ignored him while the Samaritan man, the one who would have been shunned by the Jews, loved the Hebrew man to the point where he helped him get the treatment he needed and provided financially for him as well. This is what a world looks like where people refuse to show favoritism for one over another.

Going back to our passage for today, we find God speaking to us through this Word he has spoken through James and He is making it crystal clear that showing favoritism is nothing short of sinful. For anyone Christian who willingly chooses to discriminate is opting to judge “with evil thoughts”, evil because the chosen behavior is in direct disobedience to the words of Jesus who commanded His followers to:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7

The demand from our Lord in this passage is simply, “Don’t play favorites!” It’s up to us to listen and obey.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.