The Foolishness of Favoritism

Today’s key text invites us to consider what happens in the church when favoritism goes too far. At the time of our text, it would be perfectly normal for people in church and society to show favoritism and preferential treatment to people with means and money. Society was structured and ordered around giving those of a certain class, in a certain tax bracket, and with access to power the highest privileges that society had to offer. James opens this chapter by confronting this worldly mindset and addressing the dangers of bringing it into the house of God. James says to them then and us now that we must not let the prejudices of the culture or the subjective preferences in our minds influence how we handle those who, like us, are made in the image and in the likeness of God. Society may make distinctions and judge people based upon their background, their moral history, their mistakes, their family of origin, their race, their gender, or their class, and you may have personal preferences for the type of company you prefer to keep, but you should not call yourself a Christian, as verse one says, if cultural prejudices and personal preferences cause you to show partiality.