LESSON 3 • Everybody is Somebody
James 2: 1-13

Introduction

We do it so casually; welcoming the new visitors to the assembly. How could there be anything wrong in this? 
How sincere or enthusiastic is our greeting, and is this based on how we perceive that person?
Even if we do show a little favoritism, is that such a big deal in the whole picture of our Christianity? 
In the beginning of the second chapter of James, the author continues his “how-to” book for Christians by instructing us on our attitudes toward others and then tells us that even though this may not seem like a big deal for us, for God it is a very big deal. 

Illustrator Kerri Bates-Mills grew up in the Mabelvale Church of Christ and has been a visitor to Pleasant Valley. She is a mother and has worked in graphic arts. 

Outline

I. If we have faith in Jesus, we worship one who is impartial. (James 2:1)
II. If we judge on the basis of outer appearances, we show partiality. (James 2: 1-7)
III. If we show partiality, we are guilty of sin. If we show impartiality, we are following the royal law. (James 2:7-13)


Contextual Overview
Someone has said that the book of James has more imperatives than any other New Testament book. The book is focused around the idea that Christians are to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.” (James 1: 22) The book is written in the style of the common Jewish wisdom literature with strings of moral teachings and a persistent urging to excellence. One example of that excellence is in the treatment of, and attitude toward, others. It is the loving actions toward others that is the real indicator of our faith in Jesus, not just professing that we have that faith.

Textual Review
I. If we have faith in Jesus, we worship one who is impartial.

The author James prepares the reader of this chapter by setting the groundwork in the first verse: 
• He begins this second chapter with the address “My brethren”. This address is one of equality—an equal standing in the family of God. 
• In the first verse, as he speaks of the glory of Jesus Christ, he is again preparing to address the sin of partiality. If all believers have the glory of Jesus, that glory makes even the poorest in wealth as rich as those wealthiest in the world’s eyes.
• However, his strongest reason for impartiality is that our faith in Jesus should prevent our showing distinctions based on a person’s appearance. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), neither should Christians be. 

II. If we judge on the basis of outer appearances, we show partiality (James 2: 1-7).

James now gives an example of how that partiality, or personal favoritism, might look in an everyday situation. In the second verse, James sets the scene. The action takes place in “the assembly” or “the synagogue”. The main players are a member of the church, who is acting as an usher, and two guests that have come to worship.
Two people enter the assembly; a wealthy man with gold rings and fine apparel, and a poor man in filthy clothes. The way James describes the action that takes place is that the member of this meeting place shows the rich man to a seat of honor and asks the poor man to stand or to sit at the feet of the others (literally on the tier along the wall where those in the assembly who sat at benches rested their feet.). This treatment of the poor man is debasing and humiliating. 
We may have several reasons for such preferential treatment of men of means:
A. Poverty makes us feel uncomfortable and placing the filthy guest along the wall allowed us to pretend that the poor is not with us.
B. We may feel that having a man dressed in fine clothing in a place of honor says something about the importance of our church group. Getting this wealthy man to join us might provide extra income for our meeting place.
C. We may indicate that we want to identify with, and be identified with, successful people rather than failures.
D. We may consider fine clothing a mark of good character and shabby clothes a mark of bad character.
James says in verse 4 that these actions made the member guilty of becoming a judge, of basing the treatment of the guests on how they are dressed rather than on any evidence about their character. 

The demand for impartiality is not new to God’s chosen. Moses commanded the newly appointed judges in Israel (Deuteronomy 1:17), “Do not show partiality in judging: hear both small and great alike.” Proverbs 14:31 declares: “He that oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker; but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” However, during the time of James’s writing, society functioned with the idea of categorizing according to class, ethnicity, nationality, and religious background. Prejudices were formed on whether one was Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman, rich or poor, Greek or barbarian. The synagogue had become a place where partiality was the common practice. It was the custom in the Jewish synagogue that seating be based on rank.

Jesus had already condemned the attitude this created when he spoke of the Pharisees’ practice (Matthew 23: 6), “…they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues.” He offered in contrast to this practice (Matthew 23:12) “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the Christian tradition, this act of favoritism is strictly forbidden. God’s plan is for us to love one another as ourselves. God’s ways are not the ways of man. Unlike this foolish display of catering to outward appearances, God has, throughout the Bible, chosen those whose faith is fuller than their pocketbook. In verse 5, James reinforces this idea that Jesus says (Matthew 5:3), God blesses the poor. God’s choice is also explained in I Corinthians 1:26 and 28. He chose a shepherd to be king and a prostitute to be a part of Christ’s lineage.

In contrast to this human nature of seeking the favor of the well-dressed, James 2:5-7 tells us that God’s love of the poor is based on their faith and their love of Him. The church should mirror this respect that God shows to the poor. God looks at the heart, not the clothing. Paul explains God’s poverty program (2 Corinthians 8:9), “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though He was extremely rich, yet for your sake He became extremely poor, so that you through His poverty might become extremely rich.” (The additions are mine!) 

III. If we show partiality, we are guilty of sin. If we show impartiality, we are following the royal law. (James 2:8-13)

The explanation that begins in James 2:8 seems to indicate that James is anticipating an objection from the ushers. “Really, James, aren’t you taking this a little too seriously?” The author then begins to show the importance of this seemingly trivial action of showing partiality. It is the breaking of a law laid down by the head of our Kingdom: a royal law. The law is summarized in Galatians 5:14: “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” and in Romans 13:8 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.” Jesus helps to define “neighbor” in the passages in Mark 12:28 and Luke 10:20-37. 

This royal law is a summary of what God expects. Religion is not a part-time, selective, compartmentalized activity. We cannot use the fact that we have not committed adultery or murder to rationalize our attitudes toward our fellow man. 
Verses 12 and 13 end this section by calling for us to examine our actions carefully as we interact with others. As we show mercy to others, so shall mercy be shown in our own judgment under the law of freedom.



Discussion

1. Read Ephesians 2:14-15. How does this scripture explain rankings under the law of Christ and how does this compare to the way the usher of the meeting place was treating the guests? 
2. Discuss Psalm 128. Is wealth a sign of God’s blessing and favor? 
3. Read Luke 15:22. Isn’t it ironic that the gifts given the lost son (us?) are the same things that made the one guest more highly honored?
4. Is this example of favoritism telling us that we should not respect positions, titles, or degrees?
5. Contrast the actions of the Christians in James 2 with those commended in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.

References

From Study Light (http://www.studylight.org)
The Adam Clarke Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament
David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
James Coffman, Commentaries on the Old and New Testament 
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

From Blue Letter Bible (http://www.blueletterbible.org)
Matthew Henry, Commentary on James

From Abide in Christ (http://www.abideinchrist.com)
Sermon “Everybody is Somebody”, Will Pounds, 2000




Louene Lipsmeyer has been a member of God's family for about 45 years. She works with the English as a Second Language program and the jail ministry at Pleasant Valley. She is an instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a consultant to the State Department of Education.