2 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. 2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? 7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? James 2:1-7 NASB
James is warning against the sin of favouritism or partiality. The example he gives is quite stark – giving the prime seating to a rich man while relegating the poor man to an uncomfortable or awkward location.
I wonder if there is another area where we show favouritism. Do we assume that the businessman – or even the professional – is the ideal person for the board or for that committee? Is our respect for them based on their success or on their spiritual wisdom?
The ones we need are those with the understanding of Christ’s kingdom – whatever their social standing.
– SSXG