Amelia Church of Christ - Christian Church in Amelia, OH near Cincinnati in Clermont County

It’s time for a little congregation participation. I have a few questions for you. (Walk around the crowd and ask individuals the following questions.) What is your favorite restaurant? What is your favorite TV show? What is your favorite ice cream flavor? What is your favorite sports team? What is your favorite Christmas song? Who is your favorite NASCAR driver? What is your favorite store? What is your favorite vacation destination?

We can be pretty choosy people. We pick favorites all the time, and that’s cool. Nothing wrong with having a favorite ice cream or a favorite sports team. But it’s dangerous when we start playing favorites with people. Actually, according to the book of James, it is beyond dangerous. It is sinful.

This is the second message in our Everyday Faith series, where we are working through the little New Testament book of James. This book is all about developing a faith that works in the real world. In the second installment in this series, James hits an issue that we see everyday in our culture. This week we’re talking about playing favorites.

In 2:1, James writes, “My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” (James 2:1, NIV) This word favoritism comes from the Greek root for “face.” James is talking about judging people by their appearance, or judging them at “face value.”

The Good News Bible hits this idea in it’s translation of the verse. “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance.” (James 2:1, GNB)

James really wanted to drive this point home, so he goes on to illustrate his point with a story. He tells his readers to imagine they’re at church. Right before the service begins, a couple of fellows walk in. One of them is dressed to the nines. He’s wearing beautiful jewelry and an expensive suit. It’s obvious that this guy is loaded.

The other man that walks in is wearing pretty shabby clothes. He’s kind of dirty. He hasn’t shaved in a while. His hair is a mess. It’s obvious that this guy doesn’t have much money, if any at all.

Then James says, “If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet," then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.” (James 2:3-4, GNB)

Then James brings everything to conclusion when he bluntly says in verse 9, “…if you show favoritism, you sin…” (James 2:9, NIV)

It’s hard to miss what James is telling us. As we’ve been saying in this series, James is blunt, gut-level reality. The reality is that there are people who judge other people on the basis of appearance. And the reality is that these judgments are contrary to God’s plan for our lives. These judgments are sinful.

The book of James is possibly the oldest of all the New Testament letters. Even in the early church, people were struggling with these face value judgments. And we are still struggling with them today.

Why does James make such a big deal about this? It would seem like there are bigger issues that he could have talked about. Why does he spend so much time harping on this issue of playing favorites?

James gives us the answer in his simple, blunt style. His answer is so basic that all we have to do is remember our ABCs. James warns us about the ABCs of playing favorites.

First of all, when I show favoritism, I assume a role that isn’t mine.

I learned this lesson when I was a kid. My younger brother was pretty ornery at times, and he was in rare form on this day. He was absolutely annoying the fire out of me. Finally, I was fed up. I grabbed him, turned him over my knee, and spanked him. I was quite proud of myself for handling the situation. Later I told my dad how I had spanked my little brother. I expected him to be so proud of me for handling the situation. I expected dad to give me a big pat on the back. Well, I did get quite a pat on my backside, but not the kind that I was anticipating. I told Dad my story, and he proceeded to turn me over his knee and I got a spanking! I learned very quickly that I had assumed a role that wasn’t mine. Dad made the judgments on what was worthy of a spanking. And Dad was the one who carried out the spanking. My sore bottom drove the lesson home: Don’t assume a role that is not yours.

James warns us about this in 2:4. When we play favorites based on appearance, he asks us, “have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:4, NIV)

When we get into the game of playing favorites, we assume the role of judge. But the Bible clearly tells us that this is a role reserved for God and God alone.

James writes in chapter 4, “God is the only lawgiver and judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge someone else?” (James 4:12, GNB)

Why do you think you are? Who do you think you are when you judge someone by what they wear? Who do you think you are when you judge someone who has a tattoo? Who do you think you are when you judge someone who doesn’t “look like a Christian,” as if a Christian has to look a certain way? These judgments are highly critical, they are incredibly legalistic, and they are sinful. They are sinful because, in these judgments, we assume that we can do a better job than God, so we push him out of the way. When we play this kind of favoritism, we attempt to shove God off of his throne and then we just have a seat. We assume a role that is not ours.

We have an exciting new ministry that is about to start in our church called APEX. APEX is a high energy, contemporary worship service that will begin on Saturday, June 3rd. The purpose of APEX is to allow our people to worship in a new and different way. It’s also designed to give you the chance to invite your non-Christian friends and family to come and experience an exciting service where they can learn about God’s love and grace.

Our band has been practicing all month in preparation for APEX. Last Sunday night, it was kind of warm here in the auditorium, so Brian opened up the front doors to allow the breeze to come through. So, with the doors opened, the band started practice. They were playing these high-energy worship songs, and as they were playing, kids from the neighborhood started walking in. By the time practice was over, the back row was filled with neighborhood kids who came to check out what was happening. You wonder what kind of potential APEX has? Folks, all we had to do was open the door and let the music filter out and we had kids coming in.

Now understand, these kids were all different. Some of them were kind of scroungy looking. I was so proud that our people gave them APEX flyers and invited them to come and check it out. But all of that could be erased by one person playing favorites. Do we really want these dirty kids here? After all, they probably won’t dress the right way. They probably won’t act the right way. They’ll be a problem. To this attitude, James says, “God is the only judge. God loves these kids. Who do you think you are? You’re assuming a role that isn’t yours.”

Second in the ABCs of playing favorites. When I show favoritism, I believe the Bible doesn’t apply to me. We may not say it out loud, but when we play favorites, we live as if we believe that the Bible doesn’t apply to us.

In 2:8-9, James writes, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin…” (NIV)

James quotes the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” from the Old Testament book of Leviticus. James calls this the “royal law.” It is the royal law because it was given by the King. This is more than some petty regulation. This is a supreme command in the Kingdom of God. Jesus referred to this law as the second greatest commandment, behind only the command to love God above all else. Paul wrote in Romans and in Galatians that this royal law sums up all of God’s commandments. From cover to cover, the Bible drills this command to love your neighbor as yourself.

But when we start playing favorites, when we start judging others by superficial means, we are trampling this royal law of God under our feet. We are commanded to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We’re not given the option to choose who that neighbor is.

Jesus told a story that we commonly call the story of the Good Samaritan. In that story, a man is jumped by a band of thugs. He is robbed, beaten, and left for dead. As he was laying on the roadside, a couple of very respected, religious people came by. They were much too important to be bothered by this bleeding man, so they passed by on the other side of the road. Then a Samaritan came by. We have to understand that Jesus’ audience was Jewish. The man who was beaten in the story was Jewish. Jews did not associate with Samaritans. They viewed Samaritans as half-breeds. The racism ran deeper than we can understand. And yet it was the Samaritan who washed and bandaged the man’s wounds, took him to a hotel where he could rest, and paid all his medical bills.

After telling the story, Jesus asked the man he was talking with, “Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:36-37, NIV)

The royal law to love your neighbor as yourself extends across all lines and divisions, including racial differences. People are judged everyday because of the color of their skin. What’s even more frustrating is that some people try to twist the Bible to support their racist views. It doesn’t really matter which way the racist view runs: black to white, white to black, any race to any other race. Racism, at its core, is judging someone by their appearance. And James calls this kind of judgment “sin.”

Jesus himself lived in a very racially charged culture. Like we said a minute ago, Jews would not associate with Samaritans. But Jesus didn’t care. He told the story of the Good Samaritan. He turned this racial partiality on its ear by talking with a Samaritan woman. The bottom line is that judgments based on race have no place in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. We are commanded to love our neighbor, regardless of what that neighbor looks like.

There is a third warning in James ABC’s of playing favorites. When I show favoritism, I conform to my culture. Let’s go back and read the verse that started everything this morning.

“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism.” (James 2:1, NIV)

There is a reason that James is slamming Christians who judge others based on appearance. It’s because we are believers in Jesus Christ. That sets us apart. It makes us different. It means that we are supposed to live counter to our culture.

Our culture teaches us that it is ok to play favorites, to judge based on how a person looks. Think of how superficial it is when People Magazine annually publishes its list of the 50 most beautiful people. It also has an annual feature to crown, “The sexiest man alive.” We read of celebrities who hire image consultants. Plastic surgery is the norm. Sexiness and beauty are the gods to be worshipped in our culture. And it is all based on judging appearances.

But we are believers in Jesus. That means that we can’t buy into the superficiality of our culture. Faith and favoritism don’t mix. We don’t honor a person because they look right. We don’t shut out another person because they don’t look, talk, and act just like us. We don’t kiss up to a person who may be able help us get ahead and ignore someone we’ve passed on the social ladder. That’s the way our world behaves, but God plans for us to be different.

Paul wrote in Romans 12, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Instead of conforming to our culture, we pursue what is good, acceptable, and perfect. What is good, acceptable, and perfect is to love your neighbor as yourself, not matter what that neighbor looks like, no matter what sins lie in that neighbor’s past, no matter what shape that neighbor’s life is in today. The command isn’t to love our neighbor if he is lovable. The command is to love our neighbor.

We don’t know exactly what Jesus looked like, but we do know that he wasn’t really a good looking guy. Jesus was judged because of his appearance. The Bible says, “He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.

We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him--- we ignored him as if he were nothing.” (Isaiah 53:2-3, GNB)

Jesus was judged and rejected by his culture because he wasn’t the kind of neighbor they were looking for. He didn’t look right. He didn’t act right. He was a rabble-rouser who made people uncomfortable. Jesus wasn’t lovable. He may have been loving, but he wasn’t lovable. And so the Son of God was judged, rejected, and crucified.

But because he was rejected, we can be accepted. Because he died, we can live. God doesn’t judge us based on what we deserve. Because of the cross, he gives us grace. And this grace is available to all, no matter what. No matter what gender, no matter what color, no matter how checkered your past may be. It’s available for executives and 9-to-5ers. It’s available for the young and the old. God doesn’t discriminate. God doesn’t play favorites.

Mike Edmisten