Sermon Text: James 2:1-13
Below is a sermon manuscript from February 23, 2024. Watch the sermon here.
Introduction
I want to read an account from an NFL player who attended a church close to him one Sunday, and his impression. Go Here for article read during for the introduction.
— Read article
What are your thoughts there? How would you respond if an NFL player came to church this Sunday? Would it be different than if it were any visitor? What about to Equipping the Saints or a Bible Study? Would you be more welcoming if a popular or attractive person came in than someone more awkward? While we might know the answers to these questions instinctively, living out a culture that doesn’t show favoritism is harder in actual practice. It is tattooed on the skin of our culture, and its removal takes intentionality.
1. Favoritism is Sin
First James directly addresses the issue. We have to love his approach. He doesn’t beat around the bush. We aren’t left guessing as to what he is talking about. No, he directly states that they shouldn’t show partiality. In other words, don’t play favorites. Now it is clear that the issue at hand is playing favorites with those who are rich. James uses an illustration to make his point clear. We don’t know if this is an example that actually happened or a hypothetical, but either way, he wants them to hear it. He describes different people coming into the assembly and being treated differently based on their appearance. One has gold rings – the rich would often display their wealth as a distinguishing marker. This practice is warned against in other New Testament letters. The call to modesty, for instance, includes not drawing attention to one’s wealth perhaps even more so than one’s body. But here there is a clear immodest dress in terms of wearing their wealth for all to see. Gold-ringed is literally gold-fingered.
The “gold ring” was an emblem of the upper-level Roman “equestrian” class, although James may not intend quite so specific an identification. “Fine” translates a Greek word that means “bright, shining” and is applied, for instance, to the clothing of heavenly beings[2]
What is the idea in this passage, it seems clear.
This person enters the gathering in a way guaranteed to bring attention to him- or herself, flaunting wealth before a largely poor congregation[3]
On the way to my brothers wedding, I accidently got bumped up to the premium seating in the Ferry. I let the lady know it was in error and she said that it was fine and also promoted one of my brothers to premium seating as well. As we took our seats there was a guy who was wearing Ferrari branded shoes. Now the shoes themselves were not terribly expensive but it wasn’t long before he was telling others about his Ferrari car and how he liked it better than his former Lamborghini. The shoes served as a conversation starter so he could let others know about his car. Some people ignored, others were enamored.
Here people were flaunting their wealth through their attire and it served to get them noticed. We see that they were singled out “You” and given seats of prominence. It’s hard to tell if this is a typical assembly of the church for worship or if other activity is taking place. This is because the word ’synagogue’ is used instead of the typical ‘ekklessia.’ Some say this could be referring to a court-type of event. In either case, it seems like it was a group of Christians and that there is discrimination based on wealth.
Not only are the rich being treated well, but those who look poor are treated poorly. It seems they are given two options, either sit nearby in a state of shame or stand in the corner. “Don’t make me look bad.” The thought goes.
This might have reminded James’ audience of what Leviticus teaches
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16[4]
This passage is from Leviticus 19, which James later refers to when he says they shall love their neighbor as themselves.
Honor is Good, Favoritism is Sin (vs. 1)
Many things are unwise or unhelpful but may not be straight sin in themselves. But favoritism does not belong to that category; it is a sin. However, we must be aware that many sins are twisting or misdirecting the good in the wrong direction. There is something good about honoring others. There is something evil about honoring some people and neglecting others based solely on their status or how valuable we find them… “in the Greek it means ‘to receive the face’ of someone or to accept his external appearance as the real thing and to make an evaluation on that basis.[5]”
That is what is meant by favoritism or partiality. It is giving special privileges to some and not others based on how valuable they are seen to be. Racism, for instance, is a specific way that partiality can be practiced. It favors certain people over others based on skin color. This can extend to any kind of social status.
Favoritism in Society can’t shape how the church operates (vs. 2-3)
Honors or acclaims that have been gained or earned in the world shouldn’t direct how a church receives or treats people. At church, we all sit under the cross as forgiven sinners. Or sit as those still in need of the grace of God.
VIP Section in Church
A few years ago some articles came out about the culture of Hillsong Church in New York. It was revealed that they had a heavy emphasis on celebrities. They even had a VIP section of their church that only celebrities had access to, and they had special time with the pastor, “normal” attendees didn’t have the same access.
The Rich in verses 2-3
This is very similar to the example that James gives in verses 2-3. Those with more wealth are treated better than those who are poor. They are given better seats, and the others are not cared for. There is a great temptation to favor those with material wealth or popularity. This makes sense; we see it as a way to elevate ourselves or leverage it for good. But it often serves to reveal our hearts and what we find valuable.
2. Favoritism has fallout
You Become an Evil Judge (Vs. 4)
The first practical effect of their favoritism is setting themselves up as judge. They are the ones who get to say who has value and who doesn’t. James calls them evil judges. Blomberg and Kamell write, “When we attempt to discern people’s value based on external features, we not only try to usurp God’s role as judge, but we fail miserably in the process[6]” It is vital for us to understand how easy it is to place ourselves in the judgment seat and make declarations on others. In fact, this is an integral part of our culture and particularly teen culture.
The Wall Street Journal just released a study a few years ago about Facebook’s data related to the impact of Instagram on teenagers, particularly teen girls. The article quoted a senator who said, “Facebook seems to be taking a page from Big Tobacco – targeting teens with potentially dangerous products while masking the science in public.”[7] It continues quoting a professor of Psychology, “If you believe that R.J Reynolds should have been more truthful about the link between smoking and lung cancer then you should probably believe that Facebook should be more upfront about the links to depression among teen girls.”[8]
One study indicated that 40% of teens who felt unattractive said that the feeling began when looking at Instagram.[9]Listen to some of these quotes: “I felt like I had to fight to be considered pretty or even visible; I feel like I am too big and not pretty enough; Every time I feel good about myself, I go over to Instagram, and then it all goes away; Instagram is a tool to measure popularity. Students refer to the number of followers their peers had as if the number were stamped on their foreheads.”[10]
What’s the solution? Well, one would be to be careful and discerning with our social media use. The goal here is not to slam social media, but to reveal how it can form us and affect those around us.
Particularly in terms of what James is saying to us this morning, the church should be a counter-cultural beacon in this chaos. Throughout the week, people are being formed and shaped by what those around them say about their value. The church should not reinforce these counter-Biblical ideas but instead must show that each person is an image-bearer of God and has dignity and worth. Also, each person has sinned against this God and needs a Savior in Jesus Christ. A former Instagram executive said that it, “People use Instagram because it’s a competition; that’s the fun part.”[11] Unfortunately, that has become the devastating part, and if we’re not careful, that same attitude can take over this group and our local church. Instead of embracing it, let’s be a different kind of culture that competes to outdo one another in showing honor as Romans 12:10 instructs us.
You Miss Seeing How God Typically Works (Vs. 5-7)
Another fallout from this is that we miss seeing and understanding how God typically works. God delights to use the lowly things of this world to shame the prideful. Think about the example in the Old Testament of David. He was the least likely of his brothers to be picked to be king. He was unlikely to be a hero in the midst of a battle, especially with Goliath. But God delights to show his strength through our weakness. We see this in Paul’s letters as well. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,c not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human beingd might boast in the presence of God. And because of hime you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
It’s not that God prefers the poor as if they are better, but typically those who are poor or who struggle can understand their need for a Savior and dependence on someone outside of themselves. This doesn’t mean rich people can’t get saved, but there is a greater difficulty there – as Jesus taught us. Think about where the church is growing the most right now. It’s not in the wealthiest countries of the world but poor countries.
It’s interesting that God delights to save the poor – to work through those who look foolish in the world’s eyes – and yet we can despise them. We can think that God needs the rich, the beautiful, and the well-spoken. Instead, what God delights in is humble hearts. The poor are those who see their riches in Christ and have their true position in the kingdom of God. Further, it doesn’t make sense for them to show favoritism to the rich to gain position for themselves; they are the ones oppressing them. This can be the case for us today, too; we can try to gain credibility with those we see as valuable and, in the process, side with those who are harming the people of God.
3. There are Remedies for Favoritism
James finishes up this section by giving two remedies for favoritism, the law of God and the mercy of God. We could say that one serves as the guardrails that provide us with direction and the other as the engine that gives us power and motivation. First, let’s start where James starts, with the guardrails.
Understanding the Law of God (vs. 8-11)
James quotes what was Jesus’ favorite section of scripture to mention. It deals with summing up the law and what God’s instruction is meant to accomplish. They are to love their neighbor as themselves but showing partiality (or favoritism) is not loving in this way. Because of that, they have failed to live according to God’s law. They can’t say that they’ve only failed in this area and not others to escape. That would be like a murderer telling the judge, “yeah, I totally killed that person, but I’ve never robbed a bank or drove while under the influence. Let’s call it even!” No.
In the same way, we can’t stop honoring or loving someone because of their lack of wealth or status. That would be breaking the law of God. We can’t toss out the good things we’ve done and expect that to outweigh our lack of love.
Experiencing the Mercy of God (vs. 12-13)
This might seem like an impossible burden. The purpose is not to overwhelm us but to challenge us to take these things seriously. We also need to recognize that we walk toward this obedient life as people who have been set free by Christ and His work for us. This liberates us from the bondage of sin and our own failures in these areas and gives us the power to walk in obedience. James intentionally mentions that we walk in the law of liberty. It’s not a rule that oppresses or condemns – the law absent the work of Christ – but a law of freedom.
Doug Moo writes,
“God’s gracious acceptance of us does not end our obligation to obey him; it sets it on a new footing. For the will of God now confronts us as a law of liberty—an obligation we discharge” with joy because we stand both forgiven and empowered by the Holy Spirit[12]
It is God’s mercy to us who are needy both when we came to Christ and every day that can motivate us. Those who have been touched by the mercy of God will be careful not to neglect those who need to be shown mercy. We know how important it is. Allberry puts it like this,
Part of the visible outworking of true Christianity is compassion for the needy: to be moved by the distress of the most destitute, and provoked into taking action to help them. Another way of putting this is to say that true Christianity is seen in how believers show mercy to others around them.[13]
The way that we show mercy to others is an indicator that we’ve been shown mercy. Think about it, if people have to be “good enough” for us to love them, then God shouldn’t have ever shown us love. Instead, he demonstrated his love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Once we understand the beauty of that and how it flips everything upside down, we can begin to see the importance of sharing this good news with all and loving all without favoritism or determining how it will benefit us.
Conclusion
While people may disappoint. While they may judge you from externals, God knows the heart. If we understand our own hearts, there is a sense where that is scary. It’s easy to fake it. To pass like we have everything together. But if there is one who can search the depth of our heart, what will be uncovered? But this is the beauty of the Christian gospel. It doesn’t downplay our sin. It doesn’t excuse it away or try to cover it up. Instead it recognizes it for what it is. But it doesn’t stop there. It also recognizes the mercy of God for what it is. Though our sins are many, his mercy is more. Have you experienced the mercy of God? Regardless of your past, regardless of your present, there is forgiveness and mercy found in Jesus. Come to him for rest. Come to him for healing. Turn from your sins and trust in Him. He is an all-sufficient Savior.
[1] “An NFL Star Just Walked into My Church. How Should I Treat Him?” Accessed February 20, 2025. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/an-nfl-star-just-walked-into-my-church-how-should-i-treat-him/.
[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2000), 103.
[3] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 108.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Le 19:15–16.
[5] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Respect of Persons,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1838.
[6] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 109.
[7] “Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show – WSJ.” Accessed February 19, 2021. https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell, James, vol. 16, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 119.
[13] Sam Allberry, James for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2015), 68.
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