Posted on 06/19/2018 4:01:00 PM PDT by metmom
"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?" (James 2:2-4).
You must show equal respect to poor and rich alike.
Partiality is an age-old problem that exists in almost every area of life. Perhaps its most common manifestations are racial, religious, and socio-economic discrimination. By implication James denounced partiality in any form, but in James 2:2-4 he specifically mentions preferential treatment of the rich over the poor. He knew such favoritism was devastating not only because it is sinful, but also because the majority of believers in the early church were poor, common people. Discriminating against them would have struck a blow at the very heart of the church!
From its inception the church has upheld the priority of ministering to the poor. Acts 2:44-45 says, "All those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need." Paul organized a relief fund for the needy saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-4), and during one severe famine, "in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders" (Acts 11:29-30).
God has chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, but some of James's readers were dishonoring them (vv. 5-6). That had to stop! We too must honor the poor by treating them with dignity rather than prejudice, and meeting their needs whenever possible. Be alert to those around you whom you might help in some practical way.
Suggestions for Prayer
Ask the Lord to keep you sensitive to those around you, and for wisdom to know how to respond to their needs.
For Further Study
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, noting the kinds of people God uses to accomplish His purposes.
Studying God’s Word ping
I have always liked this verse. You should have seen this guy look at me when I walked into a church years ago with my super-long hair (most of it cut now) and my blue jeans, LOL.
And the funny thing was, the sermon that day was on Bible Prophecy and the speaker was Dr. Ed Hindson who I finally was able to meet and speak with the day before.
He probably thought I was some old hippie from Berkeley, LOL.
I wonder what Jesus’ attitude would have been toward our modern bums.
At least the money changers in the Temple had been working.
They are not truly poor.
I’d hazard a guess that nobody in this country is.
Between welfare, food stamps, free education, free medical care, free cell phones,......
I lived in a welfare town and those people game the system.
I will not give money to panhandlers. I had a friend many years ago who went through Teen Challenge for drug rehab and he said that those guys have plenty of resources. They are only using the money for drugs and to NEVER give them anything.
There are ways out of that kind of lifestyle IF THEY WANT.
The problem is, they don’t want.
Our pastor never gets to see how much anyone has donated. Others handle the offering. He gets to see the final total. He doesn’t want anyone to think his sermons or counseling is based on $$$.
Good policy, I think.
That is.
It protects him from the temptation of playing favorites based on their giving.
Agreed.
It’s OT that one who won’t work doesn’t eat.
Paul reiterated that in the NT, too.
And he stated that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel.
I think that some Churches, though, have it backwards. They are very conscious about ministering to the needs of the unsaved community, so as to draw them into the Church, but they ignore or forget their own members. We are to prefer one another. We are to take care of our own even before we give our resources, energy and attention to the lost. They shall know we are Christians by our love for each other first, and then our love for others. Our love for each other will draw them in, when they see it.
We also must, of course, love the lost and draw them in. The way it primarily pleases God to save the lost is through the foolishness of our preaching the Gospel to them. The Word of God is sharp and powerful and does a mighty work, when mixed with faith.
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