No partiality

My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? – James 2v1-4

Simple picture here.

Man #1 walks in to your church service. He is dressed to the nines. He is wearing an obviously expensive suit. Everything about him says – ‘money.’ His haircut is perfect. He shoes are made of the best leather. You notice that he drove up in a brand new luxury car. His teeth are perfect as he flashes a winning smile. He exudes confidence, charm, wit, and most of all – money.

Man #2 walks in a few minutes later. You wonder where is car is. His tattered and worn jeans are stained and look dirty. His AC/DC t-shirt is frayed at the edges. His hair is long, unkempt, and tied back in a pony tail. There are cigarettes in the pocket of his t-shirt, he has a rough, scraggily, partial beard that draws attention to a grin that reveals teeth that are either yellow or missing. There are tattoos on his arms and creeping up the side of his face.

Let’s cut to the chase here. Which man is going to draw your positive attention? Which one are you most apt to approach, shake his hand, and ask him to sit with you during the service? Which one are you most likely to invite to dinner afterwards. Which one are you most likely to ignore?

Now look back at the passage above. We haven’t a clue what is going on in the above scenario. It could very well be that man #1 is the biggest scam artist and thief in the city. It could also be that he is a very godly man. Man #2 might be the ‘waster’ he appears to me. He also might be someone looking for the love of God that he remembered hearing about in Sunday School when we was a child, or a new believer who knows he needs to be in fellowship with God’s people.

When our hearts reject one and accept the other we judge with evil thoughts. It is pretty simple. No partiality means we see both these men the same. No partiality means we welcome them both in with warm hearts and open arms.