IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Do Not Show Favoritism

Date: Sep. 18, 2022

Passage

James 2:1-13 (ESV)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 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, 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,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 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? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 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.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 2:8

Jesus didn’t show favoritism. He loved and served all kinds of people equally. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ likewise should never show favoritism. Paul’s dinner party example shows that when we show favoritism, what we are really doing is judging others with evil thoughts. This we should never do, for Jesus teaches us not to judge others.

James says we should not show favoritism because God chose those who are “poor in the eyes” to be rich in faith. It is they who will inherit the kingdom of God. James reminded them it was sometimes the rich unbelievers who persecuted them by dragging them to court. In doing this, they blasphemed God’s name.

How can we keep from showing favoritism? We do so by obeying the royal law—to love your neighbor as yourself. How could we show favoritism if we love each other as we love ourselves? There is no room for favoritism in the love of Jesus. Showing favoritism may not seem too serious, for that is one way we can show we love our brother! But if we break one part of the law, we are lawbreakers. If we are not merciful to others, we will be judged without mercy!

Prayer: Prayer: Father, I always treat those close to me with favoritism. Help me to repent and obey the royal law to love others.

One Word: One Word: Do not show favoritism; love your neighbor as yourself

Daily Bread

Two Witnesses and a Seventh Trumpet

Revelation 11:1-19

Key Verse: 11:15

Read More

Intro Daily