No Room for Favouritism - James 2:1-13

1 to 13, and Pete is going to come and read for us this morning.

Okay, so if we've got the church Bible, it's on page 1213.

So it's James chapter 2, verse 1 to 13.

James 2:1–13

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 comes in filthy old clothes, also comes in.

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say,

here is a good seat for you, but say to the poor man,

you can stand there or sit on the floor by my feet,

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters,

has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith

and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

But you have dishonoured the poor.

Is it not the rich who are exploiting you?

Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in scripture,

love your neighbour as yourself, you are doing right.

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

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point

is guilty of breaking all of it.

For he who said you shall not commit adultery also said you shall not murder.

If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder,

you have become a lawbreaker.

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.

Thank you, Pete.

So let's keep our Bibles open at James chapter 2 and we're going to pray.

James 2 · chapter mention

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

Father, give us your Holy Spirit, we pray,

so that we listen carefully to your word,

so that we submit to its authority,

that we accept it,

but also so that we may do what your word commands.

For we know that this is not only good for us,

it is good for each other,

and it is good for the world in which we live.

So, Father, help us now, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

So, what's your favourite in a box of chocolates?

And don't tell me you don't like chocolates.

Strawberry cream,

Turkish delight,

velvet fudge.

Well, last Sunday,

after I'd come home,

I was over at my brother's,

and there were a few others there,

and we opened up a box of milk tray after dinner.

Well, by the time the box came round to me,

all that was left

were the ones that nobody really likes,

hazelnut whirl,

coffee cup.

Well, I broke the golden rule,

the one my mother always told me I mustn't do,

and went straight for the second layer.

Salted caramel,

my favourite.

Now, just as we all have our favourite chocolates,

we also have our favourite people, don't we?

We choose and pick the people we like,

while we ignore and discard the ones we don't.

Look at verse 1 of chapter 2.

My brothers and sisters,

believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ

must not show favouritism.

If we're believers,

if we're claiming to follow Jesus,

there must not be a hint of favouritism.

Look back with me to chapter 1, verse 21,

where James commands us.

He says,

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth

and the evil that is so prevalent,

and humbly accept the word planted in you

which can save you.

Do not merely listen to the word

and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

Now, the evidence that we accept the word,

listen to the word,

and do what the word says

is not showing favouritism.

If I am a Christian,

I will not have favourites.

I will treat each and every person

without prejudice or discrimination.

You see, the sad reality is

we all show favouritism.

Look at verse 2.

Suppose a man comes into your meeting,

to your gathering on a Sunday morning

wearing a gold ring and fine clothes.

He's got all the bling and the latest fashion.

And a poor man in filthy old clothes

also comes in

and he's got a half-drunk Heineken can

stuck in his pocket.

If you show special attention

to the man wearing fine clothes

and say,

Oh, please, sit with me.

But say to the poor man,

You stand there

or there's a chair at the back.

Why don't you just sit there

and keep quiet?

Have you not discriminated among yourselves

and become judges with evil thoughts?

Or suppose a sporting celebrity family

comes in and visits one Sunday morning,

just like one of the Munster players did

a few years ago, you may remember.

Well, they were the star attraction,

the focus of attention.

We were like bees round a honeypot,

wanting to talk to them.

Now suppose a family

from the travelling community arrives.

Well, it's all a bit noisy

and a bit disruptive.

There's no rushing over to chat.

Instead, there seems to be

a collective sigh of relief

when they leave the building.

We ignore the family

from the travelling community,

but rush straight

to the celebrity family.

Well, of course,

we don't have to wait

for travellers or celebrities

to arrive to expose our favouritism.

We do it all the time.

Just think about how we operate

on a Sunday morning

as we come in the door

or as we take our seats.

We choose who we sit beside,

making sure it's somebody

that we can relate to.

We decide who we talk to over coffee,

being careful to avoid

the one that we find

particularly awkward.

We pick who we invite to our homes,

calculating who's more fun

and who will be more acceptable

to our neighbours

if they should see them coming.

Verse 4.

Have you not discriminated

among yourselves

and become judges

with evil thoughts?

It's quite pointed, isn't it?

When we show favouritism,

we are making judgments

on each other.

We're saying,

this person

is more valuable

than that person

and the visitor

who walked in,

well, they're more important

than the other visitor.

It's called discrimination.

Sometimes it's called racism.

James,

through God's word,

tells us

it is evil.

Verse 4.

And it's lurking

in the hearts

in the hearts

of each one of us.

This one,

not that one.

I like them,

but I don't particularly

like them.

He's strange,

but she's a lot of fun.

They're Irish.

They're not.

Well, I know them,

but I can't stand them.

Every Sunday,

as we walk

through the doors,

perhaps subconsciously,

we choose,

decide,

and pick.

We show favouritism.

We become judges

with evil thoughts.

Like the box of chocolates,

we pick who we like

and discard the ones

we don't.

Verse 1.

Look at verse 1 again.

My brothers and sisters,

believers in our glorious

Lord Jesus Christ

must not show favouritism.

Now James goes on

very helpfully

to give us three reasons

why we should not

show favouritism.

Here's the first one.

God chooses

the humble poor.

God chooses

the humble poor.

Look at verse 5.

Listen,

my brothers and sisters,

has not God chosen

those who are poor

in the eyes of the world

to be rich in faith

and to inherit the kingdom

he promised

those who love him?

You see,

when it comes to

choosing people,

the world does so

on the basis of

categories like

wealth,

success,

looks,

your education.

If you've got

a well-paid job,

if you look beautiful,

you look fit,

you've got a good figure,

if you're popular

among friends,

well then you're

the person

who's chosen every time.

You're selected.

You are somebody.

In the eyes of the world,

you're deserving.

You've made it.

You're everyone's favourite.

But that's not how God

and the gospel works.

Do you see what it says

in verse 5?

God has chosen

those who are poor

in the eyes of the world

to be rich

in faith.

God chooses

the nobodies,

the losers,

those who have nothing

and are nothing,

the rejected

and the disregarded.

The Apostle Paul

helpfully

shows us

the same thing

if you keep

your finger

in James chapter 2

James 2 · chapter mention

and go back

to 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1.

1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

If somebody's got

a page number there,

they could call it out

and I can help you along.

1 Corinthians chapter 1.

1 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

Are we all there?

So here Paul

is reminding

the church

in Corinth

just how God

has worked

amongst the people.

Look what it says,

chapter 1,

verse 26.

Brothers and sisters,

think of what you were

when you were called.

Not many of you

were wise

by human standards.

Not many were

influential.

Not many were

of noble birth.

But God

chose

the foolish

things of the world

to shame the wise.

God chose

the weak

things of the world

to shame the strong.

God chose

the lowly

things of this world

and the despised

things

and the things

that are not

to nullify

the things that are

so that no one

may boast

before him.

It's quite clear,

isn't it?

Let's go back

to James chapter 2.

James 2 · chapter mention

The foolish,

the weak,

the lowly,

the despised,

they are the ones

that God chooses.

Jesus.

When I was in Ghana

just last week,

we travelled up

to the northern region

of the country,

heading up towards

the edge of the Sahara.

It was very,

very hot.

And there we went

into a small village

that was way out

into the country.

It was about

an hour's drive

from the town

that we were staying in.

We arrived in the village,

no electricity,

no running water,

nothing to offer,

no employment.

But yet,

in that small

little village,

there was a thriving

church of about

60 people

crammed into

a small

little building.

They don't have work.

Every one of them

was living off

the land.

in the eyes

of the world,

this bunch of people

were materially

poor

nobodies.

Weak,

lowly,

despised.

But in the eyes

of God,

spiritually rich

in faith,

inheritors

of the kingdom

of God,

it's like

they had received

the equivalent

of the spiritual

Euro millions.

God chooses,

verse 5,

those who are

poor in the eyes

of the world

to be rich

in faith.

Nothing

in their hands

of material

worth,

but inheritors

of the kingdom

of God,

the new heavens

and the new

world.

Riches beyond

our imagination.

Now,

we might get

confused as we

read this section

in James

and think

that God

is showing

favoritism

to the poor.

That God

chooses the poor

over the rich.

But I don't

think God

loves poor

people more

than he loves

rich people,

or that God

ignores rich

people more

than poor

people.

I think

the point

that James

is driving

at is this,

that we all

need to learn

from the poor.

In fact,

we need to

become like

the humble

poor.

You see,

the materially

poor have

nothing.

They are

dependent on

outside help.

They need

people to

give what

they don't

have.

And that

becomes a

model,

it becomes

an example

of how

we should

all come

to God

spiritually.

We come

as hopeless

and helpless,

dependent

and completely

reliant upon

God's grace

that we have

nothing in our

hands to bring

before him.

We have

nothing to

bring before

God.

So when

someone comes

into the

church gathering

and I

think that

I'm above

that person,

God is

saying to

me,

Johnny,

do not

ignore them.

In fact,

Johnny,

I want you

to learn

from them.

Johnny,

I want you

to become

like them.

I want you

to become

like the

humble

poor,

because they

know what

it is to

come with

nothing and

to receive

God's

free gift

of grace.

Look at

verse 6.

But you

have

dishonoured

the poor.

Is it

not the

rich who

are exploiting

you?

Are they

not the

ones who

are dragging

you into

court?

Are they

not the

ones who

are blaspheming

the noble

name of

him to

whom you

belong?

It's so

telling,

isn't it?

written 2,000

years ago,

but we

still operate

on the

same level.

All through

the week,

we give

our attention

to those

we deem

to be

successful

and wealthy

in the

hope that

somehow

they will

notice us

and maybe

they'll give

us that

little bit

of promotion

or we'll

get an

extra rise

in our

salary or

somehow

we'll become

part of

the in

crowd,

the in

group,

and we

look up

to the

successful

in the

hope that

they will

kind of

pull us

up.

Well,

the irony

is that

those who

we look

up to

don't

actually

help you.

They use

you and

abuse you

to get

to where

they want

to get.

While

those we

look down

upon who

think they

can give

us nothing,

they are

the ones

who can

help us

because they

are the

ones who

can teach

us.

James is

so clear,

don't

ignore

the poor,

the

nobodies

and the

losers,

those who

are considered

of no

value in

the world's

eyes.

James is

saying,

listen to

them,

learn from

them,

I want

you to

become

like them.

spiritual

poverty

coming with

empty hands

so that we

receive the

riches of

God's

grace.

The other

reason,

the second

reason why

we should

not show

favouritism

is because

God commands

the church

to love.

Look at

verse 8.

If you

really keep

the royal

law found

in scripture,

love your

neighbour as

yourself,

you are

doing right.

But if you

show favouritism,

you sin and

are convicted

by the law

as law

breakers.

On one

occasion,

in the

Gospels we

read this,

one of the

religious leaders

came up to

Jesus in a

discussion and

asked him,

of all the

commandments that

are in the

scriptures,

which one is

the most

important?

Do you

remember what

Jesus said?

Love the

Lord your

God with

all your

heart,

with all

your soul,

with all

your mind,

and with

all your

strength.

And the

second is

this,

love your

neighbour as

yourself.

And Jesus

says there

is no

greater

commandment

than these.

You see,

for Jesus,

loving God

and loving

your neighbour

as yourself

was a

summary of

all of

God's

law.

In fact,

of all the

laws that

were in

the scriptures,

the one that

Jesus quoted

and talked

about the

one the

most is

here in

verse 8.

It's what

James calls

the royal

law.

It's the

king's

command,

his command

to his

subjects,

to those

who follow

him.

Christian,

love your

neighbour as

yourself.

And,

well,

it's quite

simple.

If we

obey God's

command,

if we

do love

our neighbour,

well then,

there won't

be favouritism,

there won't

be discrimination,

there won't

be prejudice,

there won't

be racism.

When there

is love,

and when

love grows

and flourishes

within God's

people,

then favouritism

dies.

It

disappears.

And that's

not a problem

in the church,

is it?

Because we

all love our

neighbour,

don't we?

Don't we?

Don't we love

our neighbour,

as God has

said?

Well,

behind my

points here,

I like to

think that I

love my

neighbour.

I take

pride that I

love people

in the

church,

and when

a visitor

comes,

I seek

to show

love.

But remember

where this

love command

first came.

You might

have a note

at the bottom

of your

Bible there,

it says

Leviticus

Leviticus 19:18

19,

verse 18.

That's where

the love,

love your neighbour

as yourself,

first was

written.

It was

given to

God's

people Israel

just after

they were

rescued from

Egypt,

and were

on their

way into

entering the

promised land.

And God

says to

them,

love your

neighbour as

yourself.

In other

words,

they were

to love

the nations

that were

going to be

around them.

They were

to love

those who

were not

like them,

those who

spoke a

different

language and

ate

different kinds

of foods.

They were

to love

their enemies,

those who

had wronged

them and

attacked

them.

They were

to love

the rejected,

the outsider,

the wanderer,

those who

didn't have

a place to

live.

Love them.

Now,

I don't

have a

problem

loving those

who are

like me,

because there

is only one

like me,

and that's

me.

It's easy

to love

me,

isn't it?

It's easy

to love

people who

are like

me,

people of

my culture,

my class,

my background.

The problem

comes for

me when

other people

are not

like me,

and that's

everybody else,

really.

Verse 9,

knows

him.

He tend

to be

are not

I can take pride that I give attention and take time with 90% of the people in the church.

You can feel pleased with yourself that you spend 90% of the time with every visitor that comes in

and you say hello to them and welcome them.

But you know what?

If you or I exclude one person out of discrimination because their skin colour is different to mine,

or if I exclude one person out of prejudice because, well, they're not as educated as me and they look a little bit awkward,

I am as guilty as if I have not loved anybody.

That's what James is saying.

Verse 11.

For he who said, you shall not commit adultery, also said, you shall not murder.

If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

That's like a man being arrested for murdering his wife and then standing up before the judge and claim,

well, I'm actually innocent of murder because, well, I didn't have an affair.

Maybe you should let me off.

It's ridiculous.

Fail at one point of the law and you are guilty.

You are under the law and you will be judged by it.

Fail at one point of the law.

And I think it's wonderful as we shared tea and coffee together,

the conversations, the chat with one another, welcoming,

extending mercy and grace, being conduits of God's love to one another.

Favoritism dies as love grows.

It's wonderful to see.

It's wonderful to be part of a church family where we love our neighbour as ourself.

So James is quite clear and it's really hard hitting, isn't it?

No favoritism because God chooses the humble poor.

No favoritism because God commands the church to love.

And then his third reason, no favoritism because God acts in mercy towards us.

Look at verse 12 as he brings things to a conclusion.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.

There's two things about the law, two sides to the law.

There's the law that brings freedom.

If we follow God's law and do what it says, well then it helps us thrive.

It helps us to become the kind of people God has called us to be.

If we follow God's law, it's good for us.

It's best and right for us.

It creates the right kind of environment in which we live and flourish.

It brings freedom for how we should live.

But then there's the other side of the law.

Not only does the law bring freedom if we follow it,

the law is also the basis on which we will be judged.

Do you see what it says in verse 12?

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law.

Now, I hope I don't need to remind us all again

that the problem as we've gone through this section in James is,

well, we don't obey God's law.

Rather than love our neighbor, we often show favoritism.

We pick and choose those who we like and reject and ignore those we don't like.

We need God's mercy.

Where we fail to love as we should, we need God's mercy.

Look at verse 13.

Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Now, here's the logic of verse 13.

Follow along with me.

If we've received mercy from God,

we will now show mercy to others.

If we've experienced the mercy of God who does not judge us as we deserve,

then we will be merciful to others and not become judges with evil thoughts.

I want us to get that.

I'm going to say that last line again.

If we've experienced the mercy of God who does not judge us as we deserve,

then we will be merciful to others

and not become judges with evil thoughts.

You see, at the heart of the gospel is God's mercy.

Mercy is his unconditional grace and compassion.

It's the opposite of favoritism.

Rather than show prejudice, God shows grace.

Rather than discrimination, God has compassion.

Let me show you how God has mercy upon us.

First, he became poor.

Look at the beginning of verse 5 of chapter 2.

Verse 5.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters.

Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith

and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?

You see, for us to become spiritually rich,

Christ first had to become spiritually poor.

Look at the quote on the screen from 2 Corinthians.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,

so that you, through his poverty, might become rich.

Christ was rich, perfect in righteousness and purity,

yet he became poor, taking on our impurity,

and in its place giving us his riches, his purity.

Christ takes on our spiritual poverty

so that we might receive his spiritual riches.

Now that is mercy.

That is mercy triumphing over judgment.

That is the grace and compassion of God

towards discriminating, prejudiced people like you and me.

That is mercy.

But not only has he become poor.

He has loved us.

Look at verse 8.

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,

love your neighbour as yourself,

you are doing right.

Christ was the only one who came into this world

and as a man kept the royal law.

He was the only one who loved the neighbour as himself,

perfectly.

And this is how we know of his love.

Look at the screen again.

Here is a quote from 1 John 3.16.

This is how we know what love is.

Christ laid down his life for us.

Christ was treated as a lawbreaker for you and for me.

When Christ was nailed to the cross,

he was treated as a favourite-picking,

discriminating,

discriminating,

prejudiced,

unmerciful sinner,

racist,

for us.

He was treated as a lawbreaker.

And in place of the lawbreaking,

what was credited to our account

was his perfect law-keeping.

So that we might be welcomed in.

So that we would never be pushed out,

but become part of his family.

That is mercy.

That is mercy triumphing over judgment.

That is the grace and compassion of God

towards people like us,

who,

and let's admit it,

judge with evil thoughts.

Verse 13.

Because judgment without mercy

will be shown to anyone

who has not been merciful.

Mercy triumphs over judgment.

You see,

the evidence,

the evidence that we have received

and experienced God's mercy in our life

is that we are now merciful to others.

Instead of showing favouritism,

we now show unconditional grace and compassion.

As our lives are filled afresh

with the mercy of God,

as we bow before him in worship

for all that we have received,

so mercy,

grace and compassion

will bubble up and overflow

and we will be conduits

of God's mercy towards one another.

And we will point people to

the most merciful Saviour,

Jesus Christ.

I want to leave us with two questions.

just in the quietness

to think about these two things.

If you've got the notes

that were handed out,

the two questions are there.

And here's the first question.

Have I experienced

God's mercy?

Do I know what it is

to come with absolute spiritual poverty,

not claiming anything,

empty hands,

empty hands,

and just come to him and say,

Lord, fill me with your mercy.

I have nothing to bring,

nothing to claim.

I need your mercy.

Have you experienced

the depth of God's mercy

in your life?

The second question is this.

Who do I need to show mercy to

this week?

Is there somebody

I'm avoiding at work?

Is there somebody

who I just don't talk to

on a Sunday?

Where am I

showing favouritism?

Lord, help me to show mercy

and compassion

and grace.

Let's pray together.

And as we pray,

let's answer

those two questions.

The end