“My brethren, hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come into your synagogue a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, and there come in also a poor man in vile clothing; and ye have regard to him that weareth the fine clothing, and say, Sit thou here in a good place; and ye say to the poor man, Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool; do ye not make distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him? But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats? Do not they blaspheme the honourable name by which ye are called?” (James 2:1-7)
In our passages for today, James makes a firm exhortation against favouritism and the unjust treatment of individuals based on outward appearances, particularly wealth. Christians are to uphold the dignity of every person, regardless of their social status, based on their worth given by God, not society. He presents a scenario: a rich man, adorned with fine clothing, and a poor man, dressed in ragged attire, both enter a gathering. The rich man receives preferential treatment, while the poor man is relegated to a position of inferiority. This behaviour is nothing short of unjust judgement, driven by evil thoughts. By doing this, we reveal our own sinful biases, not the impartial love of Christ.
The Lord does not choose the rich or powerful to be heirs of His Kingdom, but rather, He chooses the poor. Their humility, suffering, and dependence upon God make them rich in faith and worthy of eternal life. Wealth or social prominence should never be valued over holiness or righteousness. In these passages, James exposes the hypocrisy of favouring the rich, who are often the very ones who oppress the faithful and blaspheme the name of Christ.
In Christ, all are equal; it is faith, not social standing, that determines our worth in our Lord’s eyes. Christians are called to mirror God’s justice by rejecting worldly distinctions and embracing the true measure of value—holiness, humility, and love for God.
