Respect for the Poor
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[1] My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. [2] For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, [3] and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "Have a seat here, please," while you say to the poor man, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," [4] have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? [5] Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him? [6] But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court? [7] Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name by which you are called?
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Commentary
1-13. Apparently some of the Christians to whom this letter was addressed were guilty of discriminating against people on the grounds of social standing--a clear instance of inconsistency between faith and actions, a key theme which James has already touched on (cf. 1:19-27) and will develop later (cf. 2:14-26). He may well be taking an example from something that actually happened (verses 1-4) to make the very vigorous point that discrimination is opposed to the Gospel (verses 5-7) as indeed to the Law (verses 8-11); and he makes it plain that this type of behavior will be severely punished by God when He comes to judge (verses 12-13).
1-4. God "is not partial and takes no bribe" (Deuteronomy 10:17). Discrimination among people is often condemned in the Old Testament—in the Law as well as in the Prophets and the Wisdom books (cf., e.g. Leviticus 19:15; Isaiah 5:23; Micah 3:9-11; Psalm 82:2-4). In the Gospel even our Lord's enemies admit that He is impartial and does not make unfair distinctions (cf. Matthew 22:16).
In line with this teaching, the Church takes issue with every form of discrimination. "All men are endowed with a rational soul and are created in God's image; they have the same nature and origin and, being redeemed by Christ, they enjoy the same divine calling and destiny; there is here a basic equality between men and it must be given ever greater recognition. Undoubtedly not all men are alike as regards physical capacity and intellectual and moral powers. But forms of social or cultural discrimination in basic personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language or religion, must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design" (Gaudium Et Spes, 29).
1. "The faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory": literally "the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory." This phrase can be interpreted in slightly different ways depending on how one understands "of glory". The most likely interpretation is that this is an instance of a Semitic genitive used in place of the adjective "glorious" or "glorified"; in which case St. James is referring to Jesus Christ who, after His ascension and resurrection, enjoys, also in His capacity as man, the highest honor and glory.
The RSV takes up the idea found in 1 Corinthians 2:8 where St. Paul calls Christ "the Lord of glory": since in the Old Testament "glory" was the splendor of the majesty of Yahweh (cf. Exodus 24:16), by applying this divine attribute to Christ His divinity is being explicitly asserted. If this is the correct translation, it may be a form of words taken from early Christian liturgy.
Some translate it in another way which puts even greater stress on Christ's divinity: "The faith of the glory (that is, the divinity) of our Lord Jesus Christ."
All these translations are compatible with one another and complementary to one another.
5-7. Many of the people to whom the letter was written must have been quite poor (cf. note on 1:2-4; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29). St. James reminds them that God wants to make them rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus in fact had given as a sign of His messiahship the fact that the Gospel is proclaimed to the poor (cf. Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22) and He also taught that "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3). "Christ was sent by the Father 'to preach good news to the poor...to heal the contrite of heart' (Luke 4:18), 'to seek and to save the lost' (Luke 19:10). Similarly, the Church encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery and she recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer, the image of her poor and suffering Founder. She does all in her power to relieve their need and in them she strives to serve Christ" (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 8).
Of the rich on the other hand, the Apostle speaks with unusual harshness. As elsewhere in Sacred Scripture, those who deserve such severe condemnation are people who are bent on building up their possession as if ownership were the only purpose in life, not minding what means they used, and oppressing and ill-treating the poor (cf. note on Luke 6:24).
Behavior of this type is so serious that it amounts to "blaspheming that honorable name by which you are called" (verse 7) --blasphemy by scandalous action rather than by words. This "name" can mean both the name "Jesus"--called down on them at Baptism--and that of "Christian", a name already being given to those first followers of the Master (cf. Acts 11:26).
What St. James says here can in no sense be used to justify the "class struggle" which some materialistic doctrines propose. The Magisterium of the Church has often pointed out that the application of Christian principles should make for harmony and concord between the various groups in society (cf. Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 14). James' words certainly do urge everyone to make a real effort to promote the human dignity of all: "The evil inequities and oppression of every kind which afflict millions of men and women today openly contradict Christ's Gospel and cannot leave the conscience of any Christian indifferent" (SCDF, Libertatis Conscientia, 57).
The Curing of a Deaf Man
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[31] Then He (Jesus) returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. [32] And they brought Him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought Him to lay His hand upon him. [33] And taking him aside from the multitude privately, He put His fingers into his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue; [34] and looking up to Heaven, He sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." [35] And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. [36] And He charged them to tell no one; but the more He charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. [37] And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak."
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Commentary:
32-33. Sacred Scripture quite often shows the laying on of hands as a gesture indicating the transfer of power or blessing (cf. Genesis 48:14ff; 2 Kings 5:11; Luke 13:13). Everyone knows that saliva can help heal minor cuts. In the language of Revelation fingers symbolized powerful Divine action (cf. Exodus 8:19; Psalm 8:4; Luke 11:20). So Jesus uses signs which suit in some way the effect He wants to achieve, though we can see from the text that the effect--the instantaneous cure of the deaf and dumb man--far exceeds the sign used.
In the miracle of the deaf and dumb man we can see a symbol of the way God acts on souls: for us to believe, God must first open our heart so we can listen to His word. Then, like the Apostles, we too can proclaim the magnalia Dei, the mighty works of God (cf. Acts 2:11). In the Church's liturgy (cf. the hymn Veni Creator) the Holy Spirit is compared to the finger of the right hand of God the Father (Digitus paternae dexterae). The Consoler produces in our souls, in the supernatural order, effects comparable to those which Christ produces in the body of the deaf and dumb man.