Partiality
James makes an incredible argument for inclusivity in the
congregation of God’s followers. Is
there anyone who cannot be a follower of God?
Must someone have a certain level of status? Must someone meet the “not a drain on the
system” condition that so many social clubs enforce? Must they wear certain attire or not be
allowed in? Do they need to speak the
club’s language before being granted admission?
James is talking to a specific dynamic in the congregation to whom
he is writing. There are the “haves” and
the “have nots.” The haves are
considering themselves better because they dress more appropriately. Everyone in the congregation wants to be
around the haves. Everyone wants the
attention of the haves. The have nots
are being pushed to the side because from the perspective of the world, they
have little if anything to bring to the table.
James tells us bluntly this is not how it should be. What a wonderfully New Testament idea. Jesus taught that the poor shall inherit the
kingdom of God. Jesus taught that we
should not be concerned about earthly treasures but instead be concerned about
laying up our treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy. When we look at people, we should not see
them with eyes that are evaluating their worldly wealth. Rather, we should see people through eyes
that are evaluating their spiritual nature.
The Law
If there is one thing James does really well, it is to bring the
Law into his conversation. With respect
to the topic of partiality, James does an incredible job here. James reminds us that Jesus taught us that He
could summarize the whole of the Law in two expressions: Love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, and mind and then love your neighbor as
yourself. When we show partiality, do we
not love our neighbor less? Partiality necessarily
implies a breaking of the Law.
Therefore, we should be quick to treat all of God’s followers with
hospitality. All those who call upon God
for salvation should be welcome in our midst.
We must learn to see through glasses that do not see favoritism.
Circles of Influence
That being said, I do feel the need to speak to the other side of
this issue. While all followers of God
should be welcomed, that does not mean that we have to spend an equal amount of
time with each other. When Jesus lived
on this earth, Jesus spent an incredible amount of time with the Twelve and
even among the Twelve He spent the most time with Peter, James, and John. Jesus wasn’t playing favorites; Jesus
identified gifts. Peter, James, and John
were leaders and they were the ones who opened themselves to Jesus the
most. The same could be said about all
of the disciples when compared to the crowds at large.
Therefore, while we need to be welcoming to all of God’s followers,
we also need to see where God is directing us to work. If God is calling you to speak into the life
of someone, do it. Don’t neglect others,
but don’t worry about giving a person additional attention. Don’t do it because they are wealthy or dress
nicely; do it because God is pointing you there. Don’t show partiality; but do go where God is
calling you.
Applied Faith
To be honest, I really struggle with James 2:14-17. I don’t struggle with them because I don’t
believe them to be true. I struggle with
them because I honestly don’t feel that I live up to the standard all that
well. How often do I say to people that
God loves them and they should go and be filled yet at the same time I’m not
really asking if their needs are met?
How many people do I smile at and say, “Good day!” but in reality I
don’t even know if the heat is on or their pantry has food in it? These verses always reflect the hypocrite
back onto myself.
I don’t think there is any way around it. I could do a better job asking if I can help
anyone out. Yes, I volunteer at the
Mobile Food pantry. I sort food at the
local food bank. My wife and I even support
a child and his family in Kenya. But on
the whole, am I really helping people meet their physical needs? Sure, I may be helping people meet their
spiritual needs. But am I not failing
miserably at a more basic calling in life?
Faith Without Works
Then we turn to probably the most hotly debated section of all
scripture. “Faith without works is
dead.” As I said yesterday, James is not
arguing for works based salvation. James
is arguing that if our faith and the salvation that comes through it do not
inspire us to works then we really may not even have faith. I find this a much harder question in
truth. It’s not a matter of “Am I saved
because of my works?” It’s really a
question of “Am I responding to God’s gift of salvation?” James is arguing that we see our faith and
the faith of other people through what we do.
What we do speaks about who we are.
If I do nothing out of my faith, how can I claim to be a person of
faith?
Faith is active in our works.
Faith is completed by our works.
Salvation comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ on the
cross. Our works are evidence of our
salvation. In some respects it is our
fruit. Does not Jesus tell us to judge
one another by the fruit that we bear?
And then there is the haunting question at the end. What good is faith without works? What good is belief in a God and the experience
of His mercy if we never act upon it?
Have we really been changed by God’s love and mercy if we ourselves show
no evidence of His love and mercy? Do I
want a dead faith? If not, then I need
to be alive in my works! {Again, though. Works are not to be saved. Works are the response to salvation.}
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