At a meeting yesterday, I was reminded that yesterday’s post was in error. I actually did experience harm and mistreatment from someone who is rich. That post was prompted by these verses from James that speak to those who are partial to rich people. God asks: “Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” (James 2:6–7)
I’d not remembered that mistreatment until realizing the person who did the oppressing was at the meeting. Since that event happened, God worked in my heart to take my focus from what was done to me to the horror of what having spiritual blindness and a hard heart does to a person. Instead of wanting to retaliate, I’ve felt great pity for that person and the guilt she may be experiencing for what she did. Unloving behavior can bring deep shame too. This means she needs Jesus just as much as I do. The next verse says:
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. (James 2:8)
This ‘law’ is vital and comprehensive. It is also akin to the greatest commandment as Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)
Loving others is the way to express my love for God. This is what makes partiality a sin, not only against others but against God for it reveals a lack of love for Him.
As the writer says in today’s devotional, love for God and one’s fellowman summarizes the intent of God’s law and is the measure of true faith. However, this love is not the shallow, emotional, self-oriented love that is so prevalent in our world. Instead, it is that sacrificial love that places the needs of others on par with my own, making it utterly incompatible with partiality. Playing favorites is about furthering my selfish goals, about making me comfortable. I need to love the rich and thoughtless neighbor as much as I love those with less money and bigger hearts.
Showing partiality violates God’s attributes. I could say ‘I’m one of God’s favorites’ but that is not a correct way to describe His mercy toward me or anyone else. He is gracious because of who He is, not anything I’ve done or who I am. I’m to love others the same way — because I am a child of God and being transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Partiality misrepresents the Christian faith, ignores God’s choice of the poor, and condones any sinful behavior of the rich by ignoring the fact that all are sinners and all fall short, rich or poor. How can I look down my nose on anyone when I am down there with them — a sinner also?
The Bible commends those who are impartial. James said they did well and John writes that this behavior is our assurance that we are Christians:
Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in (Christ) ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:5–6)
PRAY: Knowing that You love me totally and unconditionally is a huge factor in being able to love others, even those who treat me badly. I do not need the love of others to know my worth to You. While love and kindness from others tends to reinforce that reality, Your love is enough. Knowing that makes it much easier and even imperative to express Your kind of love to those around me. Jesus, thank You for loving me.
PONDER: These verses describe what God’s love is like. Read them again and ask God to use them to increase my love for Him and for my neighbors: John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25–29; Philippians 1:9–11; and 1 John 5:1–3.
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