Playing Favorites

James 2:1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen 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. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Who’s your favorite – and how does that affect how you respond?

We all have favorites. It’s only natural. If you lived in Denver right now – would you be for Peyton Manning, or Tim Tebow? If republican, are you for Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum?

Who is your favorite apostle? Is it John, or Peter? (Those are the two who consistently poll the highest.) BTW – Peter usually comes out on top.

Funny thing, favorites. Who we favor. Thinking more highly of one over another. I wonder; where does that come from?

They tell us we form an opinion of someone within the first thirty seconds of meeting that person. It’s called a “first impression,” and we are also told, “first impressions are VERY difficult to overcome.” True, isn’t it?

James teaches us the threshold of the church should be the place where this idea of favorites and favoritism should and must end. When we understand the notion of the church being our lives - rather than any building - then we further understand the notion of playing favorites must end at the threshold of our lives.

As the half-brother of Jesus, it must have been painfully fascinating for James to watch as Jesus extended His hands to touch some pretty untouchable people. This may have been upsetting or even disgusting to James. Can you imagine James watching as Jesus touched a Samaritan? Or, even worse – a leper?

This concept of ‘untouchable’ people had been fostered by a misinterpretation of Jewish Law, and Jesus was forthrightly setting all of it aside. There could be no misinterpretation of God’s intent. God is love. God is unconditional love. Jesus, God in flesh, lived that out. We are not to play favorites, we are to favor everyone. This is the love of God.

-Pastor Bill