James: Where Faith and Life Meet
Prejudice and the Poor
3/25/12
Introduction –
John Piper writes in his most recent book “Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian” about growing up in the South in the 60s talks about his issues with racism and in particular the racism that was prominent in his church.
I was, in those years, manifestly racist. As a child and a teenager my attitudes and actions assumed the superiority of my race in almost every way without knowing or wanting to know anybody who was black, except Lucy. Lucy came to our house on Saturdays to help my mother clean. I liked Lucy, but the whole structure of the relationship was demeaning. Those who defend the noble spirit of Southern slaveholders by pointing to how nice they were to their slaves, and how deep the affections were, and how they even attended each other’s personal celebrations, seem to be naïve about what makes a relationship degrading.
No, she was not a slave. But the point still stands. Of course, we were nice. Of course, we loved Lucy. Of course, she was invited to my sister’s wedding. As long as she and her family “knew their place.” Being nice to, and having strong affections for, and including in our lives is what we do for our dogs too. It doesn’t say much about honor and respect and equality before God. My affections for Lucy did not provide the slightest restraint on my racist mouth when I was with my friends.
My demeaning attitude was not mainly my parents’ fault. In fact, in some ways, it was in spite of my parents that I was a racist. My mother, who grew up in Pennsylvania, literally washed my mouth out with soap once for saying, “Shut up!” to my sister. She would have washed my mouth out with gasoline if she knew how foul my mouth was racially when she wasn’t around.
In 1962 my home church voted not to allow blacks into the services. The rationale, as I remember, was that in the heated context of the civil rights era, the only reason blacks would want to be there would be political, which is not what church is for. As I recall, my mother was the lone voice on that Wednesday night to vote no on this motion. I could be wrong about that. But she did vote no.
In December of that year, my sister was married in the church, and my mother invited Lucy’s whole family to come. And they came. I remember an incredibly tense and awkward moment as they came in the door of the foyer (which must have taken incredible courage). The ushers did not know what to do. One was about to usher them to the balcony (which had barely been used since the church was built). My mother—all five feet, two inches of her—intervened and by herself took them by the arm and seated them on the main floor of the sanctuary.
She was, under God, the seed of my salvation in more ways than one. As I watched that drama, I knew deep down that my attitudes were an offense to my mother and to her God. Oh, how thankful I am for the conviction and courage of my gutsy, Yankee, fundamentalist mother. [1]
This is a fitting story as our passage in James today deals with issues of prejudice or discrimination and the Christian. Of course the kind of prejudice James was dealing with was not necessarily race related as it was with John Piper’s story but it was/is just as wrong as racism in the church today. The discrimination James’ recipients were guilty of was against the poor and this could be considered the same or similar mindset of the racism and partiality to the prominent or wealthy we still have in this modern era.
James introduces this new topic in chapter 2 and he gives much space in his letter in regards to the topic of prejudice or partiality so we can assume this was a big issue that was being dealt with. The topic or theme he introduces for verses 1 – 13 is discrimination against the poor and showing partiality or favoritism to the rich in this Christian community. We are uncertain if James is addressing a specific issue or if this is just an on going problem among the believers James is writing to. In our time together it is my hope to touch on the key theme of this passage and look at how it applies to us and the church today.
Prejudice and the Poor
Racism, prejudice and partiality have been a problem within the church since its inception in the early first century. You may recall when the Church was first establishing itself there was much discussion (heated at times) about whether a Gentile could become a believer and if so does a Gentile have to convert to a Jew before God would accept them. Peter dealt with this issue with Cornelius who was a Gentile and was called to be a child of God. Paul was always fighting this fight since his whole ministry was dedicated to bringing the Gospel to the non-Jew.
As I stated earlier James is not necessarily tackling so much the subject of racism in this passage (but it certainly applies to racism) as he is the issue of showing partiality or favoritism of the wealthy in the community of believers. The underlying issue at hand is how the community of believers treat others who may not be of the same socio-economic status and/or race.
Verse one begins with who he is addressing, “My brothers…” or some of your versions will say “My brothers and sisters”. The word in a general sense denotes “fellow- Christians” or “Christian brothers”. He writes to the believers and tells them to, “Show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” Partiality is the word used in the ESV translation but others have the word “Favoritism”, “Prejudice” or the literal translation could be “Respect of person” or “Receiving the face” which means to make judgments about people based on their outer appearance. James is making clear that discrimination or judgment based upon outer appearance against people in the congregation (in this case the poor) is inconsistent with following Jesus. We are told throughout the Old and New Testaments at least seven times that God is impartial. You may recall (In 1 Samuel 16:7) when the prophet Samuel was selecting King Saul’s successor (through the inspiration of God) and David’s brother Eliab was brought before him Samuel said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him” but God responded “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” This is an example that we as believers should follow. We are not to judge people on outer appearance alone.
In verses two through four James gives an example of the problem at hand. When the Christian believers assembled together for worship (whether in homes, in the temple courts or the synagogue) and a man in fine clothes and expensive rings walks in and a dirty smelly man in shabby clothes follows behind (think of a homeless unkempt smelly person) they are not to turn their noses up to the poor man and cater the rich man. They are not supposed to make one feel more important than the other. It is suggested that the two ment in the example may have been visitors or possibly new converts since they are ushered in. The rich man was shown favoritism by being given the choicest seat in the assembly and the poor man instructed to sit on the floor. We are not sure if this was an actual event that happened or a hypothetical instance but James makes it clear that if this is being done it is wrong. He states that when we do this not only are we guilty of showing partiality but that we have then become judges with evil thoughts. Douglas Moo writes, “When Christians show favoritism toward people in the assembly, they implicitly claim God’s own right to stand in judgment over other people.”[2]
James now emphasizes the point he is trying to make by showing how showing favoritism is wrong since God chooses to use the poor, socially outcast and lowly (according to the worlds standards) to be rich in faith and in fact heirs to the Kingdom. Jesus states this in the Beattitudes of Matthew 5, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” He speaks of the poor in spirit inheriting the Kingdom of heaven; the “poor in spirit” are individuals who are oppressed people of God. The Kingdom or the reign of God is central to the preaching of Jesus. According to James and Jesus God has a special interest in the poor to inherit the Kingdom. He continues by stating the poor may not have much in worldly possessions but they are rich in the heavenly realm. God has chosen the weak and lowly to reign in his Kingdom.
In verse six he clarifies when we show favoritism to the rich we are not only dishonoring the poor but ultimately God as well. James shows the contradiction that is happening in the church when favoritism is shown. God has chosen specifically the poor to inherit the Kingdom and the Church is contradicting God by openly neglecting the poor or casting them aside for the wealthy. He shows that (in this particular case and maybe even generally) the rich really don’t deserve to be honored in the assembly because they are the ones who are associated with oppression and persecution of the church. So the hypothetical question he asks is, “Why would you want to honor those who aren’t going to honor and respect you or God?” It is like the church who favors the wealthy is like the insecure person looking for approval from someone or a group who will never give them the approval they are looking for.
In verse 7 James brings up another example of the oppression of the rich which turns from economic to spiritual. The pagan rich are also guilty of blaspheming the name of Jesus. He may be referring to the rich Gentiles who may have mocked the God whom believers worship or the rich Jew who refuses to accept Jesus as the Son of God.
Conclusion
The cross of Jesus is the great equalizer of people. In Christ there is no black or white, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile just children of God. As we conclude we should ask ourselves, “How does all this look today in the Body of Christ?” Are we guilty of prejudice in one way or another when we assemble? Do we judge people based upon their outer appearance, economic standing or even social status in the community which is contrary to what Jesus taught? We must look at how we treat people individually when they come through the doors of this church? Or more personally how do you treat people (social outcasts, poor, the lowest of the low) in general? These are good questions to ask ourselves to determine whether we are truly living according the ways of God and in the way Jesus commands us.
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