Tuesday, September 20, 2011
5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?6 But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?7 Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?
James 2:5-7
After reading these verse you may be tempted to think that James is violating the command he has just given about showing preference to one person over another. Some might think, “James, you are just reversing the problem and telling them to show preference to the poor over the rich!” I don’t believe this is what is happening. So what is this all about?
James is trying to help the reader think through the reasons that their preference to rich people is illogical. He is not telling them to disrespect the rich and to not show them love. He is really just explaining that showing favoritism to rich people so that they will show favor back to you does not always work!
In this verse we see a couple of the temptations that rich people face. Rich people in James’ time was someone who had more than they need. That is us. Specifically, he says that some rich people have a temptation to “blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called.” These people think that they don’t need God. This leads to treating God’s name improperly, or not even believing in him at all. Why? Because with what they have, they tend to believe that they are the source of all the things they have. The irony is that in doing this they despise the person that gave it to them in the first place.
Application:
James could have talked today about reasons not to show favoritism or “respect of persons” to any other group. Here’s my question for you today…Think about or even write down the type of person to whom you tend to show favoritism. Then write down several reasons why that kind of favoritism doesn’t make sense.
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
Well I favor my mom more then my dad so I’m a mommys girl of course. Well alot of people are like mommas boys or daddy’s girl…it doesn’t make sense because shouldn’t you love both your parents equally?? Some parents favor kids over kids like they could have like a Fouteen ot like thirteen year old son but tet love there 8 year old daughter more then the son….like what I just said does it make sense??
This passage is telling me that god made the people poor people rich in there faith and if they are he will love them and stuff..so this passage is telling me that god doesn’t care if your like poor or rich because to him were all rich…were all rich in our faith of the lord, but if we like still look at people with judgement before getting to no them then you ate still a jigement of evil (I added that part in) 🙂
Sorry typo are and jugdement*
You guys are definitely on track. Good comments.
God does not treat people based on how much they have. God looks at our hearts!
Mafalda, your comment was right on girl! Very proud of you! 🙂
What she said^ I tend to favor for my daddy! ❤ cuz like all girls r daddy's girl and the guys usually r mommas boys! Lol! 🙂 but I like to favor over my daddy cuz he plays sports I like and my mom isn't home tht much, my dad goes to church everyday Sunday w/ me. But at the same turn I also favor over my mommy. Cuz my dad can't do something's like my mom can, such as my dad isn't tht good w/ algebra. My mom is really good w/ numbers because she works w/ them everyday! 🙂 but mostly I tend to favor my daddy! And the passage is saying tht if ur poor god will make u rich because he loves u w/ his entire heart!! He sent his only son down to die on te cross for ur sin and mine!!! 🙂 thts just amazing!!!! But he will make u rich also because u r rich in ur faith w/ the lord! 🙂 this was a great passage today! 🙂
I think I’m more of a mamma’s girl for sure! 😉 lol but great comment today Tristian! Proud of you!! 🙂
Usually the girls are daddy’s girl and boys r momma’s boy like tristian said.I don’t know if i favor one more than the other because they r my mommy and daddy! My mom is always home w/ us and is always doing stuff w/ us and my dad is at work all the time and really only gets one full day w/ us (Sunday) i favor my daddy cause he is better at helping me w/ math or something and he does more active things w/ us.i favor my mommy cause she’s at home w/ us way more than my dad is but she really does’nt like 2 do active things.She’s more of an indoor person.I can’t stand being inside all day!! 🙂 I think we should love both our parents equally because God gave us something special and we need them!! 🙂 the passage says that if ur poor he will make u rich cause he luvs u!! 🙂 he doesn’t favor one person more than the other,he loves us all no matter what!! 😉 He sent his only son to die on the cross 4 me and u! not just a few people everybody!! 🙂 If u ever feel like ur not God’s favorite remember these 2 things 1.he doesn’t favor anybody more than the other.2.God’s love u no matter what!!!!!!! 🙂 p.s., im doing much better and my mom still isn’t feeling too great 😦 she’s getting an ultrasound today 4 her stomach.please pray that everythings okay and she gets better!! 🙂 Luv u guys!! ❤
You’re so right! We shouldn’t favor one over the other because they’re both our parents, but unfortunately it happens! I butt heads with dad sometimes because we just don’t see eye to eye on things sometimes, so it’s easier to favor my mom, but you’re right! Not right to do that! 🙂 great point Allie! 🙂 you girls are making me so proud!
Well I kind of show favoritism to my friends then new people I meet i’m kind of not hanging out with people not showing my self friendly and I can understand why I do that is because I grew up with them but i’m going to start with maybe hanging out with other kids.
Good insight! It’s harder to pull away from those you’re really close to, to hang out with others sometimes. But if your heart is in it, it’s possible! 🙂
I think I tend to show favoritism to people who are easier to get along with. I think we all do this. It’s just easier and more enjoyable. I think we need to give equal time to those who are harder to love and get along with. This does require more patience, but I think the pay off is worth it.
True that! It does require more patience, and it sure is worth it in the end! 🙂 that should be out motivation!
I tend to show favoritsm to people who have similarties to me, and genuinley good people. I dont always favor the people who curse 24/7, or people who are mean. I think this way of thinking is unhealthy and wrong, because those people who i dont favor could have so manuly things in them that they dont show! Im just being judgemental and thats not a good thing
Jesus died for everyone*, not just the “good” people, but even the ones who do the most wrong. Our sin is all the same in God’s eyes so why should i act like im more superior? Favoritism is so easy to do.. I know i have favorites. We are all guilty of it & i think we can help eachother take down these walls we put up to some people. 🙂
I agree with Lindsey! Most of the time I show favoritism to people that I have something in common with, probably because it’s way easier to talk to them. Something that doesn’t make sense about this is if I do this a lot (only hang out with people that have stuff in common with me), I might miss out on meeting a really cool person! All because I wouldn’t get to know them as much as I would if we had common interests. Does this make sense!?
I think James is saying that we shouldn’t just favorite the rich or the poor, we should love everyone, because God loves everyone! And we’re supposed to be like God, right?! 🙂
Well I think girls are daddy’s girls and boys are momma’s boys. But I also think that I so fafortisim to the people I know and when new people come I really dont talk to them. And when we show fafortisim it is being mean and rude.
I talk to a lot of people and I’m friends with a variety of people. If you were to put me in a “click” at school, I’m not really sure which one I’d be classified under. Maybe the “norms”? I tend to think I’m normal even though I’m not at all, but compared to the kids who have Mohawks two stories high, or the ones who think wearing all black together matches and looks cool, I’m normal right? Ha I wish! 😉 we look, or I tend to anyways, at other people based on their apperances and actions. Essentially we judge people. I hang out with people who have common interests as me, are fun and laid back, cool, etc. I’m a loving person so I kinda just talk to whoever, but I still have favoritism. Do I talk to the kids who curse all the time, or the kids that rap in the hallways or the kids who are loners in class? No I don’t because I don’t think I have anything in common with them so I don’t bother. Why is this wrong? Because I’m showing favoritism to the people I chose to associate with. God put all these people in my life for a reason and I can either pick and chose who I want to be friendly to, or I can be a godly person and be friendly to everyone regardless because that’s what Jesus would’ve done. As Christians we’re supposed to be displaying good testimonies, and by choosing favoritism, we’ll only reach a certain group of people, when really God wants us to be fishers of men and spread the good news to everyone!
We might not always think everyone is equal with one another, but God always does and if you ask me, His judgment counts! This is something I need to work on for sure!
Here is a relevant question…
What would our student ministry look like if we were all to fully adopt this idea that we should love and reach out to people equally, and not just to people who we favor?
Do you guys think it would look differently than it does now?
Definitely! Because I know that I don’t always reach out to everyone and I know that I’m not the only one! I think if we did start doing this not only would we be showing others we love and care about them, but we’d be displaying the body of Christ and what He’s all about. We would essentially be showing what Christianity is truly all about. Something I think we need and should definetley start doing!
I tend to show favoritism forwards friends instead of new people because I think a lot of us dont like leaving our comfort zones. This is illogical because God has called me to be friendly and to everyone. It’s good to hang out with friends and fellowship but we also need a balance of reaching people.
I tend to show favoritism to people who like me and those who I minister with. Like some of the students have said about those who you have things in common with, same thing. It’s sometimes easier to get along with those you have something in common with and it’s easier to become friends with them. I think it is fun to invite or hang out with people who I wouldn’t normally spend time with to build the bridge and to see what they are like. God calls us to love one another and I think that is a blessing for us when we actually do it. 🙂