James 2:8-9 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.  But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 

First James calls us “judges with evil thoughts” when we discriminate.  Now, he calls us lawbreakers when we show favoritism because it does not demonstrate “love of neighbor” – especially our neighbors who are already disadvantaged.  Discrimination and favoritism are two sides of the same coin. Discrimination is the harmful treatment of those we consider inferior, while favoritism is the preferential treatment of those we consider superior. When we give preference to one group (favoritism), we invariably harm the other (discrimination).  Can you think of economic policies that have had this preference/harm dynamic?  How have you benefitted or been harmed by that policy. What do you think “keeping the royal law” looks like when we consider the wall of classism? 

Prayer: King Jesus, lead us in your way neighbor love. For you laid down your riches and put aside your majesty for the sake of the poor, the lost and the broken. King Jesus, teach us your definition of justice – a jubilee outpouring of grace. For you cancelled our debts and paid everything we owed so we could be rich in you, found in you, and whole in you. And you modelled for us a new way of judging that steps down from the bench to take the defendant’s place. King Jesus, have your way in us: Prompt us to pray; Lead us to give; Empower us to campaign; Strengthen our faith for change; Move us to choose to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly until the wall separating the poor from access to life crumbles, crippling debts are cancelled, and poor communities walk free into a fair and just future of opportunity. Amen.

James 2:1-4 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 

Ouch. This stings! Most of us can easily recall a time that we treated people differently on the basis of how they dressed, skin tone, accent, gender, gender orientation, etc. James calls those who discriminate as “judges with evil thoughts.” Confession time: what evil thoughts have you had about people you have treated unfairly based on outward markers of class or other status?  

Prayer: God and Father of all, our world is torn apart by prejudice, arrogance, and pride. We divide people by labels that mean nothing in your kingdom.  Help us to be a bridge across different races, classes and cultures to love and understand one another better. Increase among us sympathy, tolerance, and goodwill, that we may learn to appreciate the gifts that others bring to us, and to see in all people our brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. Decrease in us jealousy, hatred, and fear, and help us to live together as members of one family at home in the world, sons and daughters of one Father who live in the liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

James 1:9-11 (NLT) Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.

Ibram Kendi writes, “Racist ideas make people of color think less of themselves, which makes them more vulnerable to racist ideas. Racist ideas make white people think more of themselves, which further attracts them to racist ideas.” We can easily see the same dynamic when it comes to class. What are some classist ideas that would make poor people think less of themselves and rich people think more of themselves? What about the gospel elevates the poor and lowers those with wealth? How does the gospel break down the wall of classism? 

Prayer: God of Justice, You have chosen the poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom you promised those who love him. You have exalted the humble and sent away the rich empty. Yet, we continue to disparage the poor, blaming them for their circumstances, and we lift up the rich as examples worthy of our esteem. Remind us that the kingdom of heaven is an upside down world where the first are last and the last are first, and align our hearts to your values. Through Jesus, who, though he was rich, became poor that through his poverty, we might become rich. Amen. 

1 Samuel 16:6-7  When he arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Samuel was on a mission to find God’s choice to be king over the people of Israel. He was certain that  that Eliab was the man because of his appearance and height.  But Eliab wasn’t God’s choice. In our context culturally, what traits lead us to assume someone has great potential for success?  What traits lead us to assume the lack of that potential?  What happens to people who have the traits we associate with failure? Have you ever felt evaluated on the basis of your appearance?  How did that feel? 

Prayer: O God, we’ve been guilty of assuming outward appearance is indicative of inward morals. Again and again, you remind us that you look at the heart—where the fruits of the Spirit are produced.  Forgive us for only looking at the surface as if that is all that matters. Help us to remember that your Servant had no beauty or majesty to draw us to him, no outward appearance that we should desire him, yet he is our Lord and Savior. Open our eyes to the value and potential each one possesses because of your presence in their lives. Amen.