17 February 2022
You do well if you really fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
From James 2:1-9, NRSV
In today’s reading, James warns his readers to avoid partiality in their treatment of others and particularly of favouring the rich over the poor. He describes a scene, which he may well have witnessed, in which a rich, well-dressed man is shown to the best seat in the synagogue whilst a poor, shabbily dressed man is told to sit on the floor. James points out the double standards at play and accuses those who do this of being “corrupt judges”. James also reminds his readers that God chose those poor by worldly standards to be “heirs of the kingdom”. James wants his readers to understand that impartial treatment of others is not just a unfair choice but actually sinful.
- Why do you suppose James wanted his readers to be aware of the sinfulness of treating others impartially?
- How can we ensure that those who enter our places of worship are treated with equal dignity?
Be conscious of how you interact with others today, seeing all as equal before God.
