In my other blog, JohnnyBdaily, I was in James 2 and talking about favoritism. Quite interesting. Here are the verses 1-4:
2 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?
James condemns acts of favoritism. He also reminds us that the rich would have difficulty identifying with our Lord Jesus Christ because of His humble beginnings. Jesus did not have status, wealth, or fame. He was not a "have" but a "have-not" in the world. This attitude of the "have" and "have-not" is sinful. God views us all as equals and if He were to favor anyone it would be the poor and the powerless.
Why is it wrong to judge a person by his or her economic status? Wealth may indicate intelligence, wise decisions, and hard work; yet, on the other hand, it may only mean someone was born into this situation of wealth.
If we honor someone by his/her appearances we are giving honor to "appearances" rather than to their character, their integrity. Dealing with someone who is not as fortunate as you may make you uncomfortable, but you know what? You have troubles just like they do; all be it, it may be of a different nature. Maybe your goal in life is to be wealthy and you choose not to associate with the "lesser individuals" you encounter. Maybe we want the more affluent to be part of "our" group and help with money at church, at gatherings, etc. It really does not matter.
All of these reasons are selfish and stems from the way we view ourselves as superior to the poor person. Pharisee!
Another thought is that we may show favoritism to the rich as we believe that their riches are a sign of God's blessing and approval. God does not promise this. Jesus tells us to be ready to suffer for Him and we will have untold riches in eternity. God will bless the faithful; but to show favoritism toward these people is wrong and selfish. Again - Pharisee!
If you say Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour, then you must live as he requires, showing no favoritism and loving all people regardless of whether they are rich or poor. What is the first commandment Jesus gave? To love the Lord your God with all...................; yes! And the second? To love your neighbor............! Yes! Can you do this and show favoritism? I think not!
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny
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