This file can be printed for personal use and study. © Reachout Trust - www.reachouttrust.org
Grace and Favour (James 2:1-13)
Someone once wrote:
"The devil can sit Scripture for his purpose
An evil soul, producing holy witness,
Is like a villain with a smiling cheek,
A goodly apple rotten at the heart,
O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!"
This is what James is writing about, the danger of judging by outward
appearances, judging as the world judges. In the world men sometimes
seek favour and advancement by appealing to those with power. Those
who succeed often enjoy 'Grace and Favour' privileges, usually rent-free
accommodation, often reflecting nothing more than favouritism.
The presenting problem is such favouritism, something to which we
can all be prone. At the heart of his message is "the royal law
found in Scripture" and his concern is that kingdom souls should
follow kingdom standards in their intercourse with each other and
with the world. The word translated "favouritism" or, "partiality"
in James 2:1 literally means "receving the face" and the thought
is captured well by the GNB:
"My friends, as believers in our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people
in different ways according to their outward appearance."
The problem, however, is deeper. God is no respecter of persons
(Ro.2:11; Eph.6:9; Col.3:25) and neither should we be. James asks:
"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?"
(v5)
This brings us to the nub of the matter. James is not just writing
about the niceties of church life but about the standards of the
kingdom, which has been promised to everyone who loves him. Indeed,
to show favouritism says James is to say something about yourself
and something about your attitude to the Lord. In the first instance
it says something about you, for by showing favouritism we are demonstrating
division in our own hearts in that such conduct is the product of
evil thoughts (v.4) "a goodly apple
rotten at the heart".
In judging by outward appearance we also stand in danger of rejecting
those who truly love Jesus and will inherit the kingdom and accepting
those who are truly enemies of the faith (v7) "an
evil soul producing holy witness",
and thus accepting those who, at heart, slander the Lord by exploiting
the saints. We are to judge correctly in these things.
The royal law in verse eight is the law of love, the law that, in
Jesus' words, sums up the Law and the Prophets:
"'Love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This
is the first and greatest commandment, And the second is like it,
'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments." (Mt.22:36-40)
This law does not replace Old Testament Law but sums it up. It characterises
the Law of God and the standards of those who inherit the kingdom.
Another area in which we discriminate is in keeping those standards.
It is easy to fall into the habit of regarding some laws as weighty
and important and others as relatively lightweight. James, however,
goes on to point out that to break one law is to become a lawbreaker.
The law is not a series of individual commandments but a perfect
unity of thought, reflecting the unity in God and the unity expected
in those who enter his kingdom. We cannot excuse ourselves in the
basis that, on balance, we kept the most serious laws, as when people
insist, "I haven't murdered anyone, I'm not a rapist or child molester,
I'm not a bad person".
It is instructive in relation to our ministry that the example James
uses to illustrate partiality concerns two people walking into an
Assembly of God's people ("synagogue", i.e. assembly of people or
congregation). These two are obviously visitors for them to have
drawn sufficient attention to be remarked upon and offered 'special'
attention of one sort or another. The attire of each is considered
and the acceptable man is shown to a good seat while the unacceptable
man is told to "sit on the floor by my feet".
In light of Jesus' instruction to love our neighbour, and to consider
everyone as our neighbour, this doesn't look good. How do we receive
visitors in our assemblies? The example is of people's apparel being
judged but it might just as well be about people's background, beliefs
and culture. If a Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Pagan believer or Atheist
turned up in our church how would we react? Would we keep the royal
law and love our neighbour as ourselves? Or would we be choosy about
whom we keep as neighbours? Would we say, "Here's a good seat",
or would we say, "Sit on the floor by my feet"?
James leaves us with some sobering words:
"Speak and act as those who are going
to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without
mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs
over judgement" (vv 12-13)
May mercy triumph over judgement in our lives and who knows but
the ones we might have judged unworthy of a good seat, those spiritually
poor in our eyes, may be the very ones God has chosen to inherit
the kingdom.