James 2:1-12 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
God God shows no partiality. In Him all are created equal in the world that He so loves. There is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, rich nor poor. All who come to Him He welcomes. Two commandments fulfill all of God’s intentions for mankind. We love Him and place Him as the head of our life and we will love others as much as we do ourselves. In keeping these two commands we fulfill all of Gods’ love for the world that He created. Carla
James 2:5-12
5 , my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. (NKJV)
God has chosen to use poor people who are rich in faith to advance His kingdom. Those who love Him and obey Him (John 14:15; 15:9–17) and endure the testing of their faith (1:12) will inherit the kingdom. This inheritance means more than entering the kingdom; it also involves ruling with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21; 2 Timothy 2:12).
The royal law is the law of love a law superior to all other laws.
If you show partiality, you commit sin.
Believers will be judged by the law of liberty, which is the law of love (1:25). Believers who do not practice partiality, but who practice love (verses 5, 8) and mercy, will triumph at the judgment seat. Those who have not shown mercy will not receive mercy. The NKJV Study Bible
James does not mean that the rich are at a disadvantage when it comes to believing, but that the poor are more apt to rely on God and subsequently come to faith because of their immediate physical needs. People without physical needs only feel spiritual needs (and at times the things they think are needs but are actually desires), whereas people with physical needs feel them and spiritual needs.
In first-century Israel, society was divided between a small, wealthy class and a large, poor class of peasants or artisans. Jesus expressed a special interest in the impoverished throughout His ministry (Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18). Also, in the Old Testament, God gave many of His promises specifically to the poor (1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 140:12; Isaiah 11:4).
James indicates that the poor are wealthy in terms of their salvation and its associated blessings, not in terms of material goods. From God’s perspective, the impoverished are destined to possess the spiritual wealth that accompanies faith.
The kingdom refers to the full rule of God—a state of blessing in which God’s will and reign are absolutely established. Being an heir of the kingdom means possessing eternal life (Mark 10:17–23; Luke 18:29–30) and salvation (Luke 18:18–26).
Even though God chose the poor, the church has treated them with disrespect.
The wealthy apparently were applying legal pressure to the poor, perhaps regarding wages, rent, and other forms of debt. James accuses the wealthy of insulting or slandering the name of Christ.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself James quotes Leviticus 19:18. Jesus cites this in Matthew 22:39 as the second-greatest commandment.
If you show partiality, you commit sin contrasts obedience to the royal law showing partiality is opposed to loving one’s neighbor—it is an act of sin. James personifies the law as a judge pronouncing a guilty verdict on the accused for breaking it. Faithlife Study Bible
Job 34:19
Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands.
Luke 12:21
“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
“Awe is what we feel when we encounter something vast, wondrous or beyond our ordinary frame of reference. It evokes a sense of mystery and wonder. And, given its documented benefits, awe might be our most overlooked, undervalued emotion.” Psychologist Dacher Keltner writes. “It makes us curious rather than judgmental. It makes us collaborative. It makes us humble, sharing and altruistic. It quiets the ego so that you’re not thinking about yourself as much.”
This is where it is so easy to get tripped up. We ask for the list. What are the steps to live wholehearted? How many days will it take? And what will it cost?
Now we're back to who's watching, and what is there to prove.
When I see only scarcity (what I lack), I miss the fact that every single one of us has been gifted with creativity, abundance, heart, love, and passion.
This is not to mention that we have been gifted with everything that goes with wholeheartedness… with gentleness, helpfulness, caring, kindness, tenderness, and restoration. Yes, this is also a story about sufficiency.
Living wholehearted builds on the paradigm that who we are now, is enough. Yes, life may be daunting, but I’m engaged. Invested. Alive. And in this, we are—every one of us—connected.
This gift of enough tells me I can let go of the need to keep score in order to feed my ego. Which is the permission to be okay with vulnerability.
Fear tells you “I'll make you safe.”
Love says, “You are safe.”
Along the way we come to learn that what makes us vulnerable also makes us beautiful. Yes, vulnerability can be that place of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness, but it appears that it's also the birthplace of joy, and creativity, of belonging, of love.
Living with passion (breathing in the amazing) will keep you alive.
And more than ever, we live in a world where our whole heart is required. Where, as a parent, friend, gardener, human, I literally give a damn. Sabbath Moments
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