"Over There"

I’m enjoying James so much that I’m going to continue on with chapter two:

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? 

The title of this section of scripture in the bible was “The Sin of Partiality.” 

I’m not sure I have ever heard anyone talk about “this” sin.  In other words, showing favoritism, or partiality, in the body of Christ is just wrong.

Maybe it’s more subtle than mentioned here in these verses, but we all do it.

We scout out those that are more like us than not, and we run after a relationship with them. I do it.  It’s easier to hang out with those of like interests, like economic status, and like appearance.  And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

However, when we shun or don’t even see those who are different, we give preference and attention only to those who look good in our eyes, and we don’t make room for (by giving them a seat – the least we can do) someone who is “dirty” (maybe a person from the streets?) we are called “judges with evil motives.”

Those evil motives might include a desire to gain a friendship with a person we admire and look up to, so that we can reap or receive benefits from them. 

Have you ever been at a party or function and been talking to someone, and it appears as though they are listening, until someone “of interest” walks up?  It’s not fun to have a friend turn away in mid-sentence to leave you hanging….

Lord, help us to see those who show up at church, or beside us in line at the grocery store, as ones of value and worth, and offer them a seat – not a place “over there.”