1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (James 2:1–13, ESV)

During his three years of public ministry, all types of people gathered around Jesus because of his appealing nature. Because of his power, preaching, and personality, a wide spectrum was drawn to him. He had a small group of men who became his disciples. He had another group of women who were also part of his ministry team. Wealthy people like the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus were drawn to him, and so were thousands who had been made poor by Roman dominance and taxation. The so-called righteous of the community, religious leaders like Nicodemus and Joseph, were drawn to him. So were the so-called sinners of the community—tax collectors, prostitutes, and many others flocked to him. And, surprisingly, because he was the Jewish Messiah, Jesus reached across ethnic and cultural divides as well—Hellenists, Greeks, and others of the nations were interested in him. As John wrote, Jesus knew what was in man, but it was as if Jesus showed no impartiality while here (John 2:24-25). He was not impressed with wealth or positions of power. He was drawn to anyone and everyone but had compassion on people society often took for granted or despised. The Messiah-King came, and his love was without partiality.

So when James set out to write out his vision of the mature, complete, or whole person, it was obvious to him he would turn toward the most mature person he'd ever known. Every good thing in this letter sounds so much like Jesus, and one of the things Jesus did was bring people together. He did not cave to the natural human tendency to play favorites, hold prejudices, and judge by outward appearances. Instead, Jesus could walk into any gathering and love people as they were, loving them as himself.

And, of course, Jesus' death on the cross is the event that draws each one of us. If we trust his substitutional, vicarious stand-in for us on that cross, believing he rose from the grave, we are brought into his family, a new humanity that Jesus' friendship with tax collectors and sinners could only foreshadow. As Paul said:

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace... (Ephesians 2:14–15)

It is with this new humanity—the church—in mind that we must approach this passage. James has already stressed his three main themes: trials, wisdom, and financial status, and this is a revisitation of that final theme. In the body of Christ, there is no room for partiality, favoritism, cliques, and rivalry. That is not to say these things don't often exist within churches—they rarely don't—but a pursuit of maturity will erode these otherwise human tendencies.

So James used his words to celebrate the equal worth of all people in the sight of God, teaching us that the mature person loves without partiality—how so? How does the mature believer love without partiality? James gives four exhortations in this entire section—something to remember, something to consider, something to do, and something to anticipate—all of which help us in our quest to love without partiality.

By Remembering the Lord of Glory (2:1-4)

1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:1–4, ESV)

What is the crime James decried in his tale of two men? The words he used are distinctions, judges, and partiality. Partiality means observing or receiving based on the front of something or the face value of something. It is more than mere favoritism; it's when we allow a shallow glimpse of someone else to bring us into judgment (2:1). It leaves room for giving honor to those to whom honor is due or deference to those who deserve it. You can stand at the bailiff's all-rise and offer your seat to an elderly person. What partiality does is judge at face value in an attempt to favor one over another.

I fear the ancient and nearly comical nature of James's tale might tune us out to the gravity of this crime. The reality is that we are often terrible at making distinctions and judgments about others. We rarely know the whole story, and we are too easily influenced by what we see. I mean, the Bible says the prophet Samuel was right up there with Moses, and he whiffed mightily when it came to selecting a king after God's own heart, thinking that the height and good looks of David's oldest brother Eliab made him a shoo-in for the crown (1 Sam. 16:6-7). And once David was on the throne, there was a moment when the people of Israel traded out the greatest king they would ever have for his son Absalom because Absalom, you know, had great hair and stuff. And let's not get started on the way the disciples had no clue that Judas was the one who would betray Jesus. Sometimes, we have insight, but all too often, we judge by outward appearances, and it kills us from building the beautiful community God has in store for us.

And because Jesus, the last Adam, died, rose, and ascended so he could pour out his Spirit on his new humanity, it is vital that we continually mature out of our tendencies towards partiality. To be honest, this is one advantage to our church building's geographic location—we are at the center of an array of communities that Jesus' gospel can bring together. I think we have a long way to go to break down the cliques and barriers that the pockets of our community trend toward, but we have an opportunity to, to some degree, reflect God's heart by loving without partiality.

But does James give us any help? Yes. James told us that we should not show partiality while holding the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory (2:1). By referring to Jesus as the Lord of glory, James reminded his readers that Jesus currently resides in heavenly glory and will one day return in glory as judge of the whole world. And if Jesus, the one who came from glory and returned to glory, took on the lowly position of a small-town carpenter, perhaps his people should not dismiss those of lowly estate.

We must remember Jesus, the Lord of glory, when faced with the temptation to assess and analyze people based on external factors. If Jesus, as the Bible says, had no form or outward attractiveness, then we should be a people who try hard to look past the externals to what is happening on the level of the soul (Is. 53:2). We should look past it when people are plain or attractive, tall or short, fashionable or Kirkland Classic. We should look past people's zip codes or social awkwardness. We should look past all the things about them that stretch us and remember Jesus, the Lord of glory.

By Considering God's Heart and Perspective (2:5-7)

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

This next movement is typical James—superlatives abound as he states with Proverbs like generalities what the first century church world was like. There were, of course, godly wealthy people and godless poor people scattering the world at the time James wrote, but he gave them some general truths to consider.

First, he told them to listen up and consider how God has so often chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him (5). This position is what he alluded to in his introduction—the poor man won't be poor forever, nor will the rich man be known for his wealth forever (Jas. 1:5-8).

It's true. Throughout the biblical story, God is seen as ready to serve the poor and needy and always wants his people to reflect him by caring for those in need, especially others in the church community. He is presented as the "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows" (Ps. 68:5). He "shows favor to the humble and oppressed" (Prov. 3:34). "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap" (Ps. 113:7). And vast portions of the ancient law God crafted for Israel focused on fair and generous treatment for those who were poor.

And as James surveyed the church in his era, he saw how God had so often taken those who were poor and made them into his people. The gospel did find some success with the ruling and wealthy classes, but it also found much greater success among the lower classes of the ancient world, in much the same way that we see massive and sweeping revivals in broken or developing nations and people groups today. God cannot work with human pride—wealth and prosperity can foster human pride—so wealth and prosperity, when they give way to human pride, negate the gospel's appeal.

But James wanted his audience to also consider that it was often the rich that oppressed them, even dragging them into court, presumably to oppress God's people and stop them from sharing Jesus' honorable name with the nations (2:6-7). Again, this is not James' way of saying all wealthy people are against God's kingdom, but a wealthy establishment is often the driving force behind the oppression of the church or the dishonoring of God's name. Even a simple survey of Acts shows us that it was priests, temple captains, Sadducees, councils, elders, scribes, high priests, kings, friends of major politicians, men and women of high standing, rulers, magistrates, business owners, authorities, and governmental leaders—all of whom were well off—who attacked God's work and people.[^1] As I've said, it wasn't this way every time—Paul was a powerful Pharisee before he converted, Lydia was a wealthy businesswoman who came to Christ, and a handful of other prominent-in-the-eyes-of-the-world people in Acts surrendered to Jesus. But, for the most part, it was the wealthy ruling class that opposed the church.

And James wants us to consider this perspective as an aid to help us love without partiality. We are so often caught up in deferring to and admiring those with power, money, beauty, eloquence, or other outwardly appealing features. But we are servants of the crucified king who laid down his life for his enemies. May we, as the body of Christ, be known as a community that loves without partiality, reflecting the heart of our God who "shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34). Let us actively pursue opportunities to uplift, serve, and honor those who are often overlooked or marginalized, demonstrating the radical, counter-cultural love that lies at the heart of the gospel message.

By Obeying (and Imitating) Their King (2:8-11)

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

In a masterstroke, James takes Jesus' commission "love your neighbor as yourself" and calls it "the royal law" (2:8). Jesus had taken this command from Leviticus and had made it the second great commandment after loving God (Mark 12:28-34). To James, since Jesus is our King, whatever he said is considered a royal decree, so when we show partiality in the church, we ignore our King because partiality leaves someone unloved.

The words James used suggest that love for neighbor should serve as a diagnostic to determine how we are progressing toward maturity. He said, "If you really fulfill the royal law", as if he wants us to inspect ourselves to see if we are really doing as we should. Then he said that if we are, we are doing well (2:8). Love for our neighbor indicates that we are maturing in the Christian faith.

And this love should follow us, James said, into every situation. Partiality is one way to violate God's royal law of love, making us guilty of the entire thing. We should not tell ourselves that financial, racial, cultural, or other prejudices are just one small issue among an array of potential sins. James said failing to keep one part of the law means someone is guilty of all of it (1:10). To illustrate his point, James went back to the Ten Commandments and pointed out that being innocent of adultery while being guilty of murder means someone has transgressed the law (1:11). James's choice of illustration was likely intentional. Partiality toward the wealthy would disadvantage the poor man, depriving him of his living, which would, in effect, kill him.

James is telling us that we must find ways to apply love in all the situations life throws at us. Our King commanded love. Our King embodied love. So, we are to obey and imitate him in response to his love. Loving our neighbors can take many forms, such as offering a listening ear to someone who is struggling, providing a meal for a family in need, or volunteering in our community. It might mean reaching out to a coworker who seems lonely, offering to help an elderly neighbor with yard work, or simply taking the time to learn someone's story and show genuine interest in their life. Ultimately, loving our neighbors requires intentionality, compassion, and a willingness to put others' needs before our own.

In his story of the good Samaritan, Jesus asked the question, "Who was the beaten and bloodied man's neighbor?" (Luke 10:25-37). It was his way of importing a broad definition into the word. Your neighbor is not only someone with whom you share a fence line. To Jesus, your neighbors are those you come across in life as you are on Jesus' mission who are in some type of pain. And, for those who are looking, we are surrounded by so many people who are hurting in physical, emotional, and spiritual ways, providing us with ample opportunities to love our neighbor in the same way we love ourselves. As followers of Christ, we are called to be known by our love—a love that transcends boundaries, breaks down barriers, and extends to all people, regardless of their background or social status. This is not a love that comes naturally to us, but one that requires intentional effort and a daily commitment to obey and imitate our King.

By Living Under the Shadow of Final Judgment (2:12-13)

12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James's conclusion is straightforward: let the words that come out of your mouth (speak) and the actions you take (act) be governed as if your whole life will be measured—judged—by the rule of Jesus' royal law (2:12). James connects the law of liberty with final judgment by emphasizing that our words and actions will be assessed according to this standard of sacrificial love. Living under the law of liberty means embracing the freedom that comes from obeying Christ's command to love others selflessly, and it is this very law that will serve as the basis for our ultimate evaluation before God.

It is shocking to many believers that they will give an account for their lives someday. However, the biblical concept is that even though we are reunited with God by grace through faith, we will give an account for our lives. Paul said, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Cor. 5:10). He also said that "each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:13-15). And he said that "we will all stand before the judgment seat of God" (Rom. 14:10).

He refers to this law as the law of liberty because living by the sacrificial love King Jesus modeled for us leads to true freedom (2:12-13). We live in a time when many promise liberty, but bondage and pain follow.

But King Jesus showed us the secret to the good life—deny the self, take up your cross, and give your life for others (2:12). God's grace and acceptance are not the end of our relationship with the law—they instead make God's commands a liberating experience, possible for us to live out because of the indwelling power of God's Spirit and the implanted word he has written on our hearts (Jas. 1:21).

And the wise and mature believer lives their entire lives under the shadow of this final judgment—or perhaps, so that we get the right heart of the matter, this final assessment. This is not the Father's way of scaring us or bullying us into submission, but a way to make life, with all its sacrifices and pains, worth living. I, for one, am thankful that my Father has a hope or expectation for my life. I rejoice that he does not passively stand by with no real ambition or dreams for who I might be and become. Instead, he envisions all of his children living as instruments of love and mercy to the world around them and will somehow blend his mercy, grace, and acceptance with a final analysis of our lives one day.

[^1]: see Acts 4:1-3; Acts 5:17-18; Acts 5:27; Acts 6:8-15; Acts 8:1-3; Acts 9:1-2; Acts 12:1-5; Acts 13:50; Acts 14:2, 5, 19; Acts 16:19-24; Acts 17:5-9, 13; Acts 18:12-17; Acts 19:23-41; Acts 21:27-36; Acts 22:22-30; Acts 23:12-35; Acts 24:1-9; Acts 25:1-12.

Study Questions

Head (knowledge, facts, understanding):

What is partiality, and how does James describe it in the context of the early church?
How does God's perspective on the poor and the rich differ from the world's perspective, according to James?
What is the "royal law" that James refers to, and how does it relate to loving others without partiality?

Heart (feelings, impressions, desires):

How do you feel when you witness or experience partiality or favoritism in the church or in your personal life?
What desires or attitudes in your heart might contribute to showing partiality, and how can you surrender these to God?
How does remembering Jesus as the "Lord of glory" impact your heart and your desire to love others without partiality?

Hands (actions, commitments, decisions, beliefs):

What practical steps can you take this week to show love and honor to someone who is often overlooked or marginalized?
How can you commit to obeying and imitating Jesus' command to love your neighbor as yourself in your daily life?
In light of the coming judgment, what decisions can you make today to live under the "law of liberty" and extend mercy to others?