Scripture:
James 2:1-13 NKJV
[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. [10] For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. [11] For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. [12] So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. [13] For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Observation:
Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend several churches, some have been rather welcoming and others have taken one good look at me and made a decision about how I must live, having no idea who I truly I’m, nor taking the time to find out. As the years have passed I have thought there were churches that were interested in loving on people, only to find out that if you don’t fit into the demographic you can expect to eventually be pushed to the outside. As I read the stories in the Bible and build a solid relationship with Jesus Christ, I have begun to see HIS character, and how it differs from the character you find in a lot of churches. This scripture has been on my heart for several weeks but I have been hesitant to write about it. But as i got to thinking and just chewing on it. I felt like it was something that needed to be written about again. Yes that means this is not the first time that it has come to this keyboard. James is one of my favorite books in the Bible. There are a few reasons for that. The first reason is a short letter, and when i first started studying the bible I couldn’t read well so finding the book of James was great it was one I could struggle through and it wouldn’t take that long. Another reason is James doesn’t really pull any punches. He just speaks the truth. Something that more people could benefit from. So as I began to read it, seeing how he spoke, I made a decision to do my best to speak the truth in the same manner. Now as we start to dive into the scripture we probably should buckle up. James tends to confront issues in the church. What we find him taking issue with here in chapter two is partiality. He dives right in by saying not to hold the faith of our LORD Jesus Christ with partiality. As he continues he begins to tear down what we still see a lot of churches do today. Building specific demographics catering to those who have and forgetting about the have nots. Putting those who look the part in positions and pushing those who don’t out, or making them feel less than. In verse 4 he really just comes out with his point. Have you not become a judge with evil thoughts? As he continues to teach about this topic the gloves come off. As he dives into verse 5 he starts to unpack what faith looks like, asking another question, “Has GOD not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which HE promised to those who love HIM? As he calls the church to the carpet to expose what has been swept under. In my mind I see James like a dad who has been teaching his child to sweep, bringing that child to the lump that is under that carpet pointing at it inside saying what is this? We can’t leave that there. It has to be dealt with. He continues to confront this issue by bringing to light what has actually happened by showing partiality. Dishonor has been shown to the poor man. While favoritism has been shown to the man who has money, the one who oppresses the poor and blasphemes the name of Christ. You can see how this issue has really gotten under Jame’s skin, because for 13 verses he does not let up. As he continues to dig into it calling partiality a sin, and reminding those to whom he is speaking about how Jesus Christ HIMSELF had simplified the royal law by giving only two commandments. Love GOD above all else and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Of course he does not explain away grace, saying that if you offend in one part of the law you are guilty of it all. What I believe James is doing in this group of scriptures is bringing an issue to the table and saying this is something that needs to be dealt with, partiality is not the heart of GOD, it’s the heart of the world. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James exposes the heart of the church. They were chasing after those who had money trying to build a demographic rather than the kingdom. A kingdom that is built on love.
Application:
I don’t look like your average Christian. But neither did John the Baptist. He didn’t wear the right clothes or say the things that everyone wanted to hear. He baptized the least of these. Here is the problem with speaking the real truth. People don’t want to hear it. But it’s what I have been called to speak so here we go. Churches today are trying to move out of the neighborhood where they are needed to the outskirts of towns where it’s hard for the poor to get. Not offering any kind of bus service unless you meet specific requirements. My question is why are you trying to make it hard for the poor to get to your building? I watched a church that has millions in the bank restrict the people who need to have an encounter with Christ from being able to get to the building where they claim HE is found. A church devoid of love is a church devoid of Jesus. The faith is not to be pushed to the outskirts where it’s hard for people to get. Another church that I am aware of, had a building right down town. The congregation was huge. They made a decision to build a new building on the outskirts of town and abandon the building with a location that was easy to get to. When they moved it cut the congregation in less than half. Sure they have a really nice building but the people who need THE church are left behind. We are the church; the buildings that poor people have a hard time getting to are only buildings. Our job is to love on the least of these not run from them. As the love of many grows colder and colder without even being noticed, we see the neighborhood getting worse and worse. It’s because the churches are catering to those who have money hoping to build a kingdom here on earth rather than the kingdom of heaven. Bigger buildings on the outskirts of town can be filled with more heartless people. I’m going to love them all. It’s not for me to go to a building. I am THE CHURCH. Here I am LORD, send me, we all need love and if you can’t get to the church we will bring the church to you. If you are catering to a demographic you are not THE CHURCH, you are a building devoid of Jesus. HE loves them all, HE went to the least of these, HE spent more time in the neighborhoods than HE did in the synagogue. What I am saying is this, you can build a building that poor people can’t get to and call it a church. Loving on the most of these or you can love on the least of these. Having the heart of Jesus. I want the heart of Jesus. All I truly want is to empty out hell. I’m a gate kicking follower of Jesus. You run from the people if you want. I’m going to run towards them. The church I attend is right in the hood. Right where THE CHURCH is needed.
Prayer:
Father, we know that you are love, the very characteristics that are found in what love you are a description of you. You sent your one and only SON for all of us. Yet we think we are some kind of elite crowd. Father change our hearts. Stop us from running away from the people we are supposed to be running towards. Your word tells us that you love the world so much that you sent your SON to die on a cross for all of us. Not just those who have. Help us to live for the kingdom and not this life. Help us to look past the outside of a person into the person you have made. You have given faith to those who have not. They don’t even know where their next meal is coming from but you feed them. Give us a heart of love for those who need to see a reflection of you and then allow us to be a reflection of you. Remaining sober minded is more than just not drinking. It means not elevating ourselves. Help us to stay right sized not seeing ourselves as better because we attend here or we go there. Help us to be the church, not just a building for rich people to meet. We want our heart to reflect yours… a heart of love for all. Let us just love them all. It’s not up to us to sort them out. That’s your job. Let love be our banner not a brand of Christianity. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen.