Verses to Abide In
“and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, 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?” James 2:3-5 ESV
Historical Context
William Barclay - "in the society which James inhabited the rich oppressed the poor. They dragged them to the law courts. No doubt this was for debt. At the bottom end of the social scale men were so poor that they could hardly live, and moneylenders were plentiful and extortionate. In the ancient world there was a custom of summary arrest. If a creditor met a debtor on the street, he could seize him by the neck of his robe, nearly throttling him and literally drag him to the law courts. That is what the rich did to the poor! They had no sympathy; all they wanted was the uttermost farthing. It is not riches that James is condemning. It is the conduct of riches without sympathy."
https://www.preceptaustin.org/james-2-commentary
Digging Deeper
John Phillips - After C. S. Lewis became a Christian, he decided that it would be appropriate for him to join a local church. There he found himself in the company of that very collection of his neighbors he had formerly sought diligently to avoid. The local grocer came sidling up to him to unctuously present him with a hymnbook. He looked around him and noticed that the man over there had boots that squeaked, the woman in front of him was wearing a ridiculous hat, and the man behind him sang off-key. He found himself drawing the unwarranted conclusion that these peoples' faith must somehow be ridiculous. Only later did he learn that some of these people were, in fact, devout, well-taught, and valiant Christians—believers whom Satan himself had reason to fear. It is a great mistake to judge people by their appearance. (Exploring the Epistle of James: An Expository Commentary)
https://www.preceptaustin.org/james-2-commentary
From the Heart
Last week in James 2:1 we focused on the Lord of glory in contrast to the sin of partiality. This week we seek our Lord of glory to search our hearts to see if we are judging others with wrong or evil thoughts or motives…
Let's Pray
Lord of glory, we come to you with the heart’s desire to be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving ourselves (James 1:17–27). Is there any way we are deceiving ourselves? Would you show us if we think we are doing the word but, in fact, are judging others not by your will or Spirit, but by our flesh and sin?
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23–24 NIV
Open my eyes, God, if I show the kind of judgment spoken of in this verse and the surrounding verses. Do I look down on the poor or even the rich? Do I judge others by how they dress or don’t dress, or what kind of work they do or don’t do? Do I trample some to lift up others out of favoritism with false or wrong motives? Do I put down others to lift myself up?
Search me. Show me.
Forgive me. Cleanse me.
Yes, lead me in the way everlasting.
We recognize that if we dishonor the poor, then we treat them the exact opposite way that you treat them. We praise you because you make them rich in faith and heirs of your kingdom (James 2:5). Help us to remember this when we are tempted to judge another.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Lord of glory, we pray. Amen.
“Search Me, Psalm, 139:23-24, 1-5” Song