27 Feb 2007 - James 2:1-4

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Read today’s Scripture: James 2:1-4

Let’s pray: Gracious God, that fact that you love and have chosen me to
be one of your followers may be the greatest proof of all that you
welcome everyone into your kingdom. Give me the grace and mercy to hear
your Word spoken to my heart this day.

What do you see? Where do my prejudices come from? Have I “baptized”
some of my prejudices and allowed myself to believe that my opinion and
God’s opinion are the same? How can my heart be converted from judging
by outward appearances?

There is no subtlety in James’ description of a scene that could take
place on any given Sunday morning in one of our churches. Americans, and
especially American Christians, are as class-conscious as any Christians
in the world. James’ question about the way we treat people differently,
and that inconsistency with the Gospel-mandate cuts to the heart of
every believer.
It is easy to see that those who have more wealth seem to look down on
those who have less. But isn’t it equally true that those who have less
(be they poor or middle class) often carry serious prejudice against
those who have wealth? It is easy to quote the verse about “giving away
everything we have to the poor and following Christ” (Mark 10:21), but a
little harder to quote Jesus’ teaching “For all those who have, more
will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have
nothing, even what they have will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).
We may never be able to move completely beyond judging by worldly
distinctions, but our Lord and the Scriptures never allow us to be rude
to anyone. And we must place our hearts in solidarity with the wealthy
person who is spiritually impoverished at the same time we are called to
be in solidarity with those who have little worldly wealth.
What is “glorious” about Jesus and what is “glorious” about having
material wealth are two different kinds of glory. Only when we seek
God’s glory, and God’s glory alone, will we be able to detach ourselves
from the type of favoritism that James condemns.

May we never be a church that sides with the rich and neglects the poor
(James’ example). But may we also never be a church that sides with the
poor and assumes that the rich have no need of a glorious Savior.

Dr. R. Kevin Murphy, Saint Matthew’s Lutheran Church