Focus
Let yourself become open to God and the knowledge that comes from the Word. Ask God for peace at this time.
Read
James 2:1-17
New Revised Standard Version
2 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Reflect
Growing up, my parents taught my sister and me to treat everyone the same and with respect. Even though my sister and I were almost nine years apart in age, they treated us the same. We always teased my mother because she tried to keep this lesson at heart to the degree at Christmastime, she wanted to make sure she spent the same amount of money on our Christmas gifts – almost to the penny! Our parents taught us that no one was better than anyone else. You treat the poor the same as you treat the rich. You treat the custodian the same as you treat a company president.
In our Scripture for today, verses 1 through 13 deal with favoritism. In a nutshell, God forbids it! God instructs us to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Verses 12 and 13 say, “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 judgment.”.
Next God instructs about faith and deeds in verses 14 through 17. He is basically telling us to be doers of the Word. If someone is without clothes and food, what good is it for us to tell them to “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs…”. At a church my husband and I served, there were several children who came from extremely poor homes. These children were very hungry. They were hungry physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I felt we should meet the physical hunger first. If a child is hungry, they are not going to sit in class or in the worship service and be able to sit and listen to be fed spiritually. We fed their bellies, fellowshipped with them, and then studied and worshipped with them. We would not have been able to teach them without meeting their physical need. God says if we have faith, but do not act on it, then it is dead. So, we need to be doers of His Word.
Pray
Loving God, help us to not show favoritism by treating everyone with love. And remind us to be doers of your Word by meeting people where they are in life. Amen.
Go with God!
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