We are still in the sermon series of James, and I said this
in the first sermon of James, that James is not just a letter
epistle, but it's it's also considered a wisdom literature
of the New Testament. It is 2 genres in one wisdom
literature in the Old Testament will be Psalms and Proverbs and
Song of Song of Songs and and all those books.
And James is considered the New Testament version of that.
For example, last week's sermon, James gives us wisdom about
anger. We all know anger is bad.
Nobody needs, you know, a long talk or sermon on why it's bad.
But James was saying we all know anger is bad, but James is
saying it's worse than you think.
Not only anger, you know it hurts feelings.
It makes you do things you regret all of that.
But anger prevents you from receiving God's word.
Anger prevents you from receiving correction, not just
from other people, but from God. You if you have anger in your
heart, you essentially refuse the wisdom of God.
So that's that was last week. And in today's passage, James
gives gives us wisdom about a new topic.
And it's it's kind of surprising he mentions this, but James
says, watch out for favoritism. We all know it's bad.
We all know that we shouldn't do it.
But James says, again, it's worse than you think.
Watch out for favoritism. So the question we want to
answer is how can we be free from showing favoritism in our
lives? How can we be free from showing
favoritism in our lives? Well, I think for .1 I'm going
to 1st define what favoritism is and what is not.
So number one, we need to 1st understand what favoritism is.
James chapter 2 I'll be reading verse one through 4.
Today's passage is until 13, but one through 4 for this point, my
brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on
to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and
dressed in fine clothes, and a person dressed in filthy clothes
also comes in. If you look at look with favor
on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, sit here in a
good place and you say to the poor person, stand over there or
sit here on the floor by my footstool.
Haven't you made distinctions among yourselves and become
judges with evil thoughts? James is Speaking of how
favoritism is affecting the church.
The dictionary says the the standard Dictionary of of
definition of favoritism is the practice of giving unfair
preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense
of another. So it's unfair preferential
treatment and there is a personal group that is at
expense. There is a victim and this is
done usually for some sort of personal gain.
Some examples of favoritism. There's favoritism of a maybe of
a child at home. Typically this happens often.
The last child gets away with everything and while the first
child gets in trouble for the very same things.
Or in more traditional Asian households, the first child,
especially male, kind of gets free reign on whatever he wants
to do. And then the other children have
more strict roles. This is something that I've
experienced with, you know, several people or I, I've heard
from several people, parents give, you know, the children are
getting married and parents give more money to one child than the
other. There's favoritism at work.
Some employees that are, you know, the favorites of the boss
are allowed to bend rules, while others get in trouble for the
same things. So those are examples of
favoritism. But really James speaking about
favoritism in the church, it's when leaders give more
attention, better treatment to wealthier or more influential
members. So in this passage, he says it's
a rich guy and a poor guy, and the rich guy gets the premium
seats and the poor guy gets, since you're not only the bad
seats, it's the one by the footstool.
So the feet that smell like feet, that's the is there a is
there a good and bad seats at our church?
Is the back the better seats? Yeah, well, maybe, but for sure
that we don't have any stinky seats.
I I think most of us have a general idea what what
favoritism is. And but at the same time, we
have often mistaken understanding of what favoritism
might be. So I'm going to give you some
examples of non favoritism. It seems like favoritism, but it
really is not. Remember, favoritism is
preferential treatment that is unfair.
OK, so some examples of non favoritism.
Some people think that time a teacher, a parent or pastors,
any kind of leadership, a boss, how much time he or she spends
with a group could be issued with favoritism.
So if a teacher or a parent spends more time with one person
than the other, ah, there is favoritism.
But often parents or teachers will spend more time with the
person who is in in in need. They say it's a academically,
you know, struggling kind of issue.
Then, of course, the child who's struggling more will get more of
the time. So it's a matter of responding
to need. This applies to pastors and
elders and other leaders of the church.
We spend more time with people who are in need.
We spend more time with people who are perhaps, you know,
becoming leaders soon. So equip and train.
So how much we spend time with someone is not necessarily
favoritism. So it's not time.
It's so also it's not it's not about feelings either.
So we have to distinguish between having favorites and
favoritism. I think it was our tenth year
anniversary service. So a couple years back it was,
it was right here. And then I pointed out the
people that's been here from the beginning for, for, for my first
location. And I said that there I have
special affection and special appreciation for them.
Why our first location? This is our 4th location.
Our first location was terrible. Soon as temperature becomes 78
or higher in here, people start complaining, right?
And our first location, it was minimum 85 everything.
It was impossible, right? If we were people were up in
stage were just covered in, in sweat and people didn't leave.
They they kept coming. The people who were there in the
hard times and the rough times I have special appreciation for.
So in our 10 year anniversary, I point, I I said that I said I
have special love for you. And someone asked me as a joke.
They they weren't serious. But afterwards like, hey, pastor
isn't a favoritism. Well, feelings itself is not
favoritism. But if I gave those people
preferential treatment, unfair preferential treatment, now that
will be favoritism. So for instance, Wesley has been
there in our in our first building.
So I said, OK, you know Wesley. And then there's, you know, like
Sarah over there. Johnny, You know what?
There's a bunch of people here. And for the people who are there
from there, when you guys come in, you guys will get a little
reserved with your name on on whatever seat you want.
Yeah. Who's clapping?
OK, Favorites, your seats will be right here, front row.
Those will be your seats. Now that will be unfair
preferential treatment, right? So you get it.
It's not time, it's not feelings, but it's about
equality in action and treatment.
Every person does every person feel valued, welcomed and
shepherded? And every person who is in need,
do they get the the right person's attention, the leader's
attention in this passage, the people getting the attention,
people getting the time. We're not people in need.
They're just the ones who are wealthy.
They were getting attention a time for really no reason.
That's why this was so damaging. OK, so we got that out of the
way. Defining favoritism Now let's go
to how we could overcome showing favoritism #2 how can we
overcome favoritism #2 we must understand why favoritism, it's,
it's so damaging. We all get as bad.
But it goes further than that. James is saying, hey, it's worse
than we think. It's actually sin.
It's actually very harmful. It's very damaging to the
church. Let's read verses 5 to 7.
Listen, my dear brothers and sisters, didn't God choose the
poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom
that he has promised to those who love him?
Yet you have dishonored the poor.
Don't the rich oppress you and drag you into court?
Don't they blasphemy the good name that was invoked over you?
What's James saying here? He's generalizing here.
He's not saying all poor love God and all rich are wicked.
He's not saying that. But in the Bible throughout it
is said that the that we are everyone is poor and desperate
spiritually. And in multiple areas of the
Bible, including James saying that the poor are able to see
their emptiness, able to see their poorness better.
And the rich, because they're independent, they are
self-sufficient through their wealth.
They it is hard for them to see that they are poor in spirit.
It is hard for them to see that they need Jesus like everyone
else. That's what James says.
God chose the poor in this world to be rich in faith in the heirs
of the Kingdom of God. And rich are often corrupt and
oppressive. James is saying in God's
Kingdom, these are our values. God has a way of flipping the
script that the world has. The poor becomes rich, the last
become first, the poor, the sick, the rejected, the
neglected, they all have a special place in the Kingdom of
God. And then the world is the exact
opposite. The world shows favoritism
everywhere. It has the opposite values of
God. The root word, the Greek word
root word for favoritism in the Greek is prose, a poem which
means faith. So literal translation of
favoritism is received by looking at faith.
Favoritism means I will, depending on how you look,
depending on your postal poem, I will change how I react to you,
how I receive you. In college, when I was a senior
in college, I was the president of my Christian club.
And then I ran into some high school friends who, you know, we
all went to EC Irvine together and, and they told me that, you
know, one of them was the president of their fraternity.
So a couple of presidents just talking and, and I was jokingly
and he was talking about clubbing and I was like, you
know what? I'm, I'm, I'm going to go to
that club and I'm going to find you.
And he said, tell me they won't even let you in.
Of course, I, I would always wear UCIUC Irvine hoodies and
shorts and, and sandals or something like that.
And he says, bro, you know, you can't even get in.
And I was genuinely confused. I I've never been to a club.
And I was like, what do you mean I can't get in?
He's like the bouncer won't let you in.
And I thought bouncers were like, if you cause trouble, like
they come in and they beat you up.
I didn't know that they were the gatekeepers.
Some of you guys were like, obviously.
So you guys been clubbing before.
OK. The ones that look confused are
you guys are the innocent ones. I I I like you guys.
So the bouncer's job is literally to look at the
prostopoem and judge accordingly.
The bouncer looks at you. Oh, you're wearing a hoodie and
shorts. Get out of here.
Oh, you're dressed, I don't know, in black and and stylish.
All right, come on in. The bouncer determines whether
you accept it or not. The world, the world's value
system is that literally everyone, we're bouncers.
And we judge on base how somebody looks, color of their
skin. Do they look nice?
Do they look rich? Do they young or old?
And we say, I'm going to base how I treat you based on how I
judge your Prosopone, your face. So there's two ways of living.
The world looks at the face judges this person.
Does this person deserve my time or energy?
Does this person have enough accomplishments, enough similar
things, for me to be nice to them and welcome them?
But the God's Kingdom is opposite.
We do not judge by prose the poem.
In fact, we don't judge at all. Instead, we ask, does God value
this person? If the answer is yes, we treat
them as the valuable person they are.
In fact, God values even more the poor, the neglected, the
sick, the widows and the orphans, the ones who are in the
outside looking in. God values them even more.
So we value them because God values them.
I mentioned this in one of our member meetings, but I don't
think I mentioned in a sermon. But do you guys know some of you
guys have Instagram or TikTok or Facebook?
You guys heard of POV husband? Raise your hand.
I've seen him online before. Three people have heard of him.
You get liars. Anybody nobody heard of POV her.
OK, thank you. Thank you.
It's just a guy who makes food. Don't don't be like oh, I'm so
ashamed. It's OK.
It's just a guy making food. OK 2019 he came to our church
about six months OK. And two years ago he got married
and he came here with his wife. This is pre before he got
famous. Right now he has like 3,000,000
followers or something like that.
Most of you who are here 2019 don't remember him.
OK, If you were here 2019 and you don't remember him, raise
your hand. Just kidding.
You know you don't have to. So before he became famous, he
came here six months and then two years ago he came here once.
Most of you guys don't know that it's OK.
But if he came back next week, let's say it comes back, I'm
betting that more than a few people will be wanting to talk
to him. In fact, I don't think there
will be like a line like when we have tacos, but I think there
will be people like, OK, I want to talk to him next.
There will be several groups of people wanting to meet him.
That's that's my guess now. What changed from 2019, 2002 to
if he came back next week, why would he get different treatment
for my church? The only difference is his
accomplishments. He's famous now.
It's 3,000,000 followers now. Somebody who was largely ignored
in 2019 might get a King's welcome in 2025.
The only difference, accomplishments.
Let's imagine this. I'm, I'm making up a scenario.
Let's say there is this woman, right?
She gets a corporate job. Of course, most corporate jobs.
It's the man's world. And she, she, she gets higher,
she works hard. And then after work, she notices
the boss goes out. What?
Just the men, they golf, they drink.
It's a little good old boys club.
And then she realizes they're the ones who get the promotions.
They're the ones who get raises. Even though she might outperform
some of them, she's getting largely ignored.
It's favoritism and it's traumatic.
And let's say she's also Asian American, comes from a
traditional family background where the males of the family
are typically thought to be more valuable.
And let's say she has the older brother, I guess it could be
younger brother. It doesn't matter.
She has a brother and he doesn't do anything for the family.
They go on family vacations, she pays, she plans, and all he does
is complain about the food, complain about where they're
going. She does the planning and
driving, and the brother just gets to chill with the parents.
She never seems to be able to please her parents, and the
brother seems like the parents are pleased just because he
exists. So she experiences favoritism in
the family, favoritism in the workplace, probably experience
favoritism in the schools that she went to.
And then she comes to church and what happens?
James is saying the same thing is happening.
She favoritism at work, favoritism in the family.
She comes to church and she sees the exact same thing happening.
And that's what James is asking questions here.
Listen, didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich?
You have dishonored the poor, James is saying.
That very person who's rejected everywhere else, when that
person comes here, that person should be treated like a king or
a queen. James is saying you have
dishonored the poor, the very person that needs to be valued
and loved and cherished. You gave her the world's
treatment. The same rejection, the same
favoritism. That's what James calls the
church. You've become judges with evil.
You've been seeing how you treat that person.
Based on the Prosto poem, one of the symbols of the early church
was the ark, Noah's ark, and I think it was.
It was a beautiful symbol. Perhaps it should be the symbol
of the modern church. See, God sends a pair of each
animal into the ark. Some are magnificent animals
like lions and tigers and giraffes.
And there were cute animals too, Pandas, puppies, koalas.
But it wasn't just the cute or the magnificent animals that
made the cut. The unwanted animals made the
cut too. The rats, the snakes, the
skunks, the porcupines, the bats.
They were all welcomed as well. The symbol of Noah's Ark was
part of the church symbolism because people wanted to stay at
God's church. All are welcome.
You can be a lion or a panda. University loved and university
welcomed here. Of course we'll welcome you, but
we'll treat you same just like everyone else.
That's why a lot of rich people and powerful people, they meant
not going to church because they don't get the special treatment.
It was Noah's ark, because you could be somebody who is
rejected by the world, treated unfairly by the world, neglected
by the world, and you will still be welcomed in God's house.
Noah's ark, everyone is welcome. Isn't Noah's ark?
Isn't that such a beautiful picture of God's Kingdom?
This is why favoritism is so harmful and we need to
understand why it's so harmful. When you show favoritism, you
are representing a different Kingdom.
The entire world judges on looks, give preferences,
treatment for being rich, good looking and powerful.
When someone comes to church and it's the same, then the wrong
Kingdom has been demonstrated. We did not point the way to the
cross, we pointed the way to the world.
We said we are just like the outside in modern day.
You know, back then I think it was easier.
You could tell who was rich. They were jewelry and they were
fine clothes. Like just by looking you could
tell if this person was rich or not.
These days it's really hard to tell.
When you get on the airplane, you know, you pass by the first
class in the business. Sometimes it's like what?
You're in first class, you're wearing the same thing as me.
It's hard to tell. I don't think that's something
that the modern church struggle with.
Someone comes in a nice car. It's not like, oh, you know, sit
over here. I don't think, I don't know,
maybe it's $1,000,000 car maybe, but everyone has similar range
of cars, at least here. So what's the preferential
treatment? I think it's are you similar to
me? Do you have a good personality?
Am I going to enjoy talking to you?
Is there something in it for me? Oh, look at we're at the same
age, similar profession. Oh, but that guy's so funny.
Is there something to gain out of the relationship?
So you're extra nice to one person while ignoring someone
else? James says 8 and 11.
Remember I said it's worse than you think.
That's what James is saying. 8 through 11.
I'll quickly read it. Indeed, if you fulfill the royal
law prescribed in the scripture, love your neighbor as yourself,
you are doing well. If, however, you show
favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as
transgressors. For whoever keeps the entire law
yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking a law.
For he who said do not commit adultery and also said do not
murder. So if you do not commit
adultery, but you murder, you're a law breaker.
James saying this, there's a lot of good people.
You guys do good things, but if you stink just on the side I do
a little favoritism. James is saying that doesn't
make sense. That's like saying I don't
commit adultery, but on the side I do a little bit of murder.
So it does not make sense. Favoritism is serious business
because you're literally representing the Kingdom of God
to that person. And if you represent the wrong
Kingdom, that is a serious offense.
And James ends this section of of how about favoritism of how
we can be free from it? Verses 12 and 13 speak and act
as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
For judgement is without mercy to the one who has not shown
mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.
Let's focus on the law of freedom in verse 12.
This law of freedom is the same language from last week's
sermon. It's about the obedience that
leads to freedom. James is saying when you don't
show favoritism and when you give people impartial love, you
are being free. Why are you being free?
Think about it. Why do we show favoritism?
The example is somebody who is rich and it seems like the
leaders are really giving preferences treatment to this
rich guy. Why would I do that?
Why would a pastor or elder do that?
Because if a rich person comes and gives a lot of money, what
happens? It solves a lot of problems.
We have security. We could do more things.
Our our church could be bigger and and whatnot.
There's a lot to gain from it. So if I'm insecure, if I'm
paranoid about how God's going to provide, then I will be.
Favoritism will be something that will be a big temptation.
How do you become free from it? You show love to everyone.
You are impartial and then you're saying, Lord, in my
insecurity, Lord, I give it to you.
I'm not trying to get some rich person to solve my problems.
Lord, I give it to you, our finances, I'm going to trust in
you. I'm going to hope in you.
And then you are free. You don't have to show
favoritism. You don't have to gain something
from somebody else. You're free.
You just have to love that person and serve that person.
And James ends with 13 Mercy triumphs over judgement.
Mercy and judgement are opposite things.
Judgement says. You look like you're someone
that can help me. All right, I'll be good to you.
I judge. And then you pass the test.
You have my time. You have my energy.
Mercy is the opposite. Why are people more some people
more likable than others? There's something about them,
their personality, their achievement.
Something about them. Mercy means there's nothing
about us. Nothing about me is likable or
lovable, but I am loved regardless.
That's mercy is what God has shown us.
There's nothing in us, nothing we did to deserve becoming a
child of God. There's nothing about us that
deserve going to heaven. But God looked at us, he said.
I'm not going to look at what you did or what you didn't do.
I'm going to look at what my son Jesus Christ did for you, what
he accomplished instead of you, and I'll treat you with love.
My son clothes you in righteousness.
But now I will look at you as a righteous person.
I will make you my son, my daughter.
I will love you. I will save you.
God showed mercy to us first. And because of that, we can show
mercy to other people whether they deserve it or not.
We are always treating them better than they deserve.
Judgement is opposite. Do you deserve it?
Did you earn it? Let's be free from it.
Let's be people of mercy. Main point.
We can be free from showing favoritism.
When mercy triumphs over judgement in our lives.
Let's take time to pray.