Sermon on James 2:1-13: Love Without Favoritism

I was watching Fox News the other day and the reporter, Steve Doocy was interviewing Bill Ford one of the top executives of Ford Motor Company. They talked about a lot of things, one of the things that they talked about is that Ford is the most American car company. They buy the most parts made in America, they hire a greater percentage of Americans in their work force. They assemble their vehicles in the USA. Whether you like the Ford vehicle or not, that is impressive.

Anyway, Steve and Bill were talking a walk downtown Detroit and went through the Michigan Central Station. At one point, Michigan Central Station was a very bad place to be. It had been the main point of travel, but it stopped being used and the building got vandalized. All the windows were knocked out, all kinds of graffiti on the walls, homeless people living inside, drug dealers making and selling drugs, this was not a good place to be. But Ford took on the project of restoring it.

They cleaned up the broken glass and replaced it new windows, they remodeled the inside and just made it beautiful. They left some of the graffiti as a reminder of what this building once was. Now it is a tourist attraction and even the people of Detroit are going to it to see the change that has been made.

Ford found value in this building that was in horrible shape and made it something special. So then, my question is, “What do we look for in people?” Let’s read our main text, James 2:1-13.

It is so easy to fall into the trap of the American value system. I mean that we see people for what they accomplish, what job do they hold, or how well they can sing or act. We lose the sense that Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost. Not the popular or the rich, but the lost no matter who they are.

If we are to follow Jesus’s command to go and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, then we are to make disciples of ALL people. We need to treat the bus driver as well as we do the Superintendent. We need to treat the custodian as well as the top surgeon in the hospital.

I have 3 things that we need to remember when we think about this scripture found in James and point #1 is.

1. Do not show favoritism.

James 2:2-4, 8-9

If we were to be honest with each other, we do show favoritism a lot and in some cases it is okay. Let me explain. In my life, God is first, but no one comes before my wife. Cheryl is the one that has my heart and…out of all the people in the world…she is my favorite. I will say it again, “No one comes before my wife.” The world continually messes this one up, in that, children come before spouses. And sometimes, the ones that we love are the ones that we hurt the most, but devaluing them.

One of the things that our church does well is to try to make everyone feel important. When a newcomer shows up at church, we do a great job of greeting them and talking to them and making them feel welcome and that is great. But the question we need to ask ourselves is where do we go from there?

James uses the example of sitting and in James’s time one of the ways that you would show respect is where people sat. Jesus talked about taking the least spot at a dinner table and to not take the best seat because it was a pride thing. So, when James talks about giving people a better seat because of their “appearance”, he is telling us that everyone is important.

I mean God rarely chose the biggest, the smarted, the strongest, or the richest to grow the kingdom. Gideon is a great example. When Gideon was chosen to lead the Israelite army to defeat the Midians. Gideon argued one because he was afraid, but because his clan was the weakest clan and he was the least in his family, but look what the Lord did with the lowest of the low and the weakest of the weak. You can find that story in the book of Judges chapter 6, I think. I tell you what, start reading in Genesis and keep reading until you find it. I am sure that not only will you find this story about God not choosing the best of the best, but you will find many more stories of God not choosing who we would have chosen.

So, we need to make sure that we do not show favoritism in our church, but not only that, point 2 tells us to…..

2. Love the undesirable.

James 2:5-7, Matthew 5:37-40

As many of you know, I drive a school bus. One thing that is very difficult for me is when the students smell bad. Not just a little bit, but a whole bit. I mean it takes your breath. I do whatever I can to keep fresh air in the bus, because sometimes, after a long day, students stink.

It seems like I have an overactive sense of smell sometimes and it gets the best of me. Some of you have a problem with this type of person also. Others may have a problem with someone that curses a lot. Maybe they lie a lot. Maybe you have other reasons that you find them undesirable.

Simple question is there anyone in the world that Jesus didn’t come to die for? So, in the eyes of the Lord, no one is undesirable. Correct?

That is hard for us sometimes, right? It is hard to understand how God can love some people. I get it why God would love Cardinal fans, but to think that he loves Cub fans or Yankee fans is just unbelievable. I just want you to know, that God loves Cub and Yankee fans also.

Jesus ate with tax collectors. Jesus not only found Himself teaching in the temple, but at a well in the middle of Samaria. The people of His day that the Jewish people despised are the same people that Jesus wanted to have relationships with. The same people that the Jews shunned, like the lepers, women on their period, and prostitutes, Jesus showed compassion to them and loved them.

There was a time in my life that some people found me undesirable. What if everyone had given up on me? Where would I be today? There should never be anyone that walks through the doors of our church or that comes in our life that we should find undesirable. I don’t care if they are homosexual, prostitutes or anything else. It is our responsibility to love them like Jesus loved them. To let them know that in the eyes of the Lord they are worth dying for and He wants to have a relationship with them.

I think back to Ken Polm’s statement we get so saved that we forget we were ever lost. Which brings us to point #3.

3. You are or were the least of these.

James 2:10-13, Romans 3:9-17

There is a story that has been told many times and I would like to share that with you.

Doctor Jim from a small town in the 1800’s was fighting for his patient’s life. Little Liz had a rare disease and urgently needed a blood transfusion in order to survive. The only hope for the five-year-old was to receive a blood donation from her twin brother – not only because the siblings had the same blood type, but also because he himself had survived the condition that she suffered from. His blood, therefore, contained an antibody that could save Liz’s life.

When Dr. Jim asked the boy if he would agree to give blood for his sister, the youngster was initially hesitant. But when the physician explained to him that it was the only way to save his sister’s life, he agreed.

The boy’s parents took him to the hospital where he was put on a gurney beside his twin. Both of them were hooked up to IVs. The transfusion proceeded as the boy’s blood left his body and entered his sister’s.

As the two siblings lay next to each other during the treatment, the doctor was relieved as he saw color return to Liz’s face. But when the procedure was finished, the plucky young boy suddenly became very serious and asked the doctor, “How soon until I start to die?” The doctor reassured him that he wasn’t going to die and everyone in the room understood the sacrifice that this young boy was willing to make for his sister. She was so valuable to him that he was willing to do whatever it took to save her.

Jesus gave His blood, and it cost Him His life, so that we may live, but not because we were great, because we were or are the least. Christ in me is what makes me valuable. Jesus saw the value in what you can become and was willing to give His life for your soul.

It is up to you to surrender to God. It is up to you to decide whether or not you are going to allow God to lead you. It is up to you to believe God when He tells you that you have value to Him or believe Satan (the father of lies) when he tells you, that you ain’t good enough.

We have all been there at one point in our lives and the bible tells us that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard, but God’s grace can make us right in His eyes if we just allow Him to do it.

The Least of These