Things Are Not What They Seem | James 2:1-7

Introduction

One thing that 30+ years of watching movies, reading books, and living life has taught me is that things are not always what they seem. So often we think a show or a movie or a story is going the way we thought it would go down some predictable path…but there are some stories that when you get to the end, you learn something that just completely changes everything. 

I distinctly remember the first time I watched the classic Christopher Nolan film, The Prestige. No spoilers—but I remember sitting in the basement watching the move (which was incredible), and not certain where it was going. It felt like there were a lot of loose ends in the story. And then the final reveal…it changed everything. I remember going upstairs where my dad was and saying, “I think I need to go watch it again.” So I ran back down and literally rewatched the film immediately, knowing what I knew now, and it was a completely different experience! Things are not what they seem.

Or maybe you’re familiar with the famous story of Joshua Bell. In 2007, the famed violinist, 2 days after selling out a theatre in Boston for hundreds of dollars per seat, donned jeans, a shabby t-shirt, and a baseball cap, and busked in the Washington DC subway. He played for 43 minutes, playing incredibly intricate solo pieces written by Bach and Schubert on a Stradivarius violin made by the legendary violin-maker in 1713, worth at the time $3.5M, all the while being documented by hidden cameras. Over those 43 minutes, 1,100 people walked by this world famous man, playing world famous music, on a world famous instrument. 27 people gave money, 7 people stopped and listened for any considerable time, and he made about $50 for his efforts. Things are not always what they seem.

But sometimes in stories and in life, the reveal is not for the better. The characters we thought were honorable and trustworthy turn out to be the villains—like Claudius to Hamlet, Count Dracula to Jonathan Harker, Long John Silver to Jim Hawkins, Weston to Ransom, or the White Witch to Edmund. Their calculating and pernicious deception goes unnoticed behind their wry smiles, and we are unable to see them for who they truly are. Things are not what they seem.

But what if we could see behind the veil? What if we were able to look beyond what things and people seem to be, and to truly know and see people for who they really are? What if there was a way to accurately calibrate the weights and measures, so that we can act in ways that actually foster community, not destroying it? Well, the only way to have that type of perspective is to have revelation from someone who not only knows everything, but created everything. We need a divine perspective.

And here in James 2, we receive such a perspective. In this divine book, we are given a perspective that sees through the fog of sin and injustice, and human pride and vanity, and strips us bare before the God who made us. And James warns us in this text that things are not always what they seem, and to exhort you and me to trust that the God who made us knows us and everyone around us better than we know ourselves. So are we willing to hear and see what he has for us today?

You hear at the beginning of this section James’ familiar address of “my brothers”. Throughout the letter, James uses that phrase to communicate either a turn to a new section or the development of an idea. And it is with this transition that James begins to apply the “hear and obey” idea that he just concluded chapter 1 with. It’s worth remembering that the chapters and verses that we read in our Bible are not original—James is not thinking, “now begins chapter 2.” So we have to remember what we have compartmentalized for organization and navigation, James intended to be one fluid message.

It is a sinful disposition of all people to use others for our own purposes. We distinguish, discriminate, and prejudice people not by some objective and just standard, but according to our own subjective and prideful, selfish purposes. James takes the principle and applies it into our daily lives. 

This book, this Spirit-inspired letter, is uncomfortable. It’s not enough for James to stay up in the theoretical or in the philosophical realms—there are few theological run-on sentences in James—but he comes and pins us down. Like a masterful surgeon, he not only knows the theory of a disease, how it affects various organs, or even how one would go about fixing it, but can actually get in and get the job done. So are we willing to lay on the table? Do we trust the diagnosis and the great physician?

Because although this section addresses us with commands and warnings, there is also, I believe, a great hope and promise. Here is what I believe James means to communicate in this great passage…

In Christ, we can love one another, because equality is a gospel reality.

And as we unpack all that this section has for us, I believe there are 3 scenes that James aims to develop for our good—1) the prescription, 2) the parable, and 3) the promise.

The Prescription

Right away, we are given a clear command: show no partiality. What does he mean by partiality? Favoritism, failing to treat someone justly or fairly, or treating someone in a way simply because of their status, or skin color, etc. The Greek word used here was evidently made up by the authors of the NT. It is a translation of a common OT word that means “to receive the face”, meaning to make judgements about someone or act in such a way based on someone’s external appearance or status. Oh my, if there is one category our modern society believes it understands it is that of discrimination. So perennial is this sin that we have passed sweeping anti-discrimination legislation over the past 60 years. And rightly so! 

We see this clearly in the story of Joshua Bell. Someone who is world famous and talented, completely ignored because of how he looks and where he is. We also experience this in everyday life. You get in trouble in class, even though you weren’t doing anything, and the actual culprit gets away with it because he’s the principal's son and the teacher doesn't want to risk her job. Or you get passed over for the promotion at work, even though you are patently better qualified. But you’re not golf buddies with your manager, so you don’t qualify. We hate that kind of injustice!

There are endless scenarios we could dream up or have lived through. And, here in v. 1, James lists partiality in the plural, indicating the various scenarios that partiality and favoritism can be expressed. When we think of such situations, don’t we have just a gut-level repulsion to them? There is just this disgust and indignation we feel towards such obvious injustice.

And that is really what the sin of partiality is—injustice. It is the obvious and blatant use of unequal weights and measures. And there is just a built in hatred of such unfairness, partiality, and favoritism. Because of James’ Jewish audience, this command to not show favoritism references multiple OT laws that his audience would be familiar with.

“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.”

—Exodus 23:1–3

“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.

—Leviticus 19:15

And I charged your judges at that time, ‘Hear the cases between your brothers, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien who is with him. You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s.

—Deuteronomy 1:16–17

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

—Deuteronomy 16:18–20

Over and over again, partiality is viewed as a perversion of justice. And over and over again the foundation of this command is rooted not in some abstract idea of justice, defined by cultures or preferences, but in the very nature and character of God. As those made in the image of God, we are created and called to act in a way that is consistent with the creator. We are to show no partiality because God shows no partiality.

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.

—Deuteronomy 10:17

Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”

—2 Chronicles 19:7

Our God is a god of justice, not of injustice. He always judges justly. He doesn’t take bribes from the highest bidder or can be swayed by the mob or cultural pressures. That thought is both comforting and terrifying. It’s comforting because we know that no matter what, God will punish the evil-doer, and the innocent he will let go free. Can you imagine if that wasn’t the case? Imagine you’re just hanging out at home, minding your own business, and the police come bursting in, dragging you to court to be tried for a crime you didn’t do. In our world, wrongful convictions are a fallen reality. Not so with God.

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

—Proverbs 17:15

So the justice of God is a great comfort to us. But it is also terrifying…why? Because we are guilty! We deserve the just wrath of God, and yet, as James says, we are united to Christ in faith, and as we hold to that faith, we can actually obey this command to not show partiality. Essentially, imitate Christ!

After giving us the command, James then provides for us a NT case study.

The Parable

In verses 2–4, James tells a story to provide an application of the principle he just laid out. Clearly, this was a presenting issue in the churches throughout the Diaspora. That situation seems to have been pervasive throughout. In their meetings, likely a gathering like the one we are participating in right now, 2 different kinds of people come in, prompting 2 different responses from the leaders.

James lingers on the description of these two men—one described as wealthy and important and one as shabby and disheveled—he lingers in order to show that partiality reacts to externals rather than to what is of real or ultimate value. So they honor the rich man simply for being rich, and say to the poor man, “Sit at my feet”, which in an honor/shame society, would be extremely insulting. And remember, they say this to him simply because of his appearance and status.

The moral of this parable is straightforward. Rather than being hosts, these men were acting as judges. And instead of measuring each person based on the object standard of God, seeing them first as image-bearers of God, and if Christians as fellow heirs, they measure by their own impulsive and prideful standard, making them wicked judges.

This is just such a natural and human response, isn’t it? We are just so prone to make snap judgements of people based solely on their appearances or first impressions. The history of our country shows us just how tempting and pervasive this sin can be and what can happen if this warning from James is ignored. Our modern society is correct when it bemoans and condemns racism and bigotry, but those terms need to be defined. And given our culture's inability to define something as simple as manhood and womanhood, the difference between a boy and a girl, we should not trust them to define racism and bigotry accurately. 9 times out of 10, a racist is defined as someone who is right of our extreme leftist elites.

Thankfully, we are not in the dark. James here defines that very thing as the sin of partiality. And one might say, “well, I’m not racist or bigoted.” And that may be very true! We must define our sin according to God’s standards, not the reactions of our easily offended culture. But this type of sinful favoritism shows up in more ways than just the extremes of racism or bigotry.

It can appear more subtly. Like in church leadership. Rather than relying on the clear biblical qualifications for elders, successful business leaders are appointed to elder boards simply because they bring stature and financial stability. Surely successful leadership in one area equates to the type of pastoral shepherding described in the NT for the care and leadership of the body of Christ.

Or, more commonly, it can appear in our communities. Someone joins your GC and…they’re a bit odd. Maybe they dress weird, or interact with others in ways you don’t understand, or make different choices then you do about schooling or parenting and they’re loud about it, or there is some past sin that they have repented of, received forgiveness for, but you draw away from them, not wanting to associate with them.

There are seemingly endless scenarios that this sin could manifest, and James’ point is not to make an exhaustive list of all the things to watch out for, but rather to simply and directly call you to show no favoritism or partiality to anyone in any situation. That type of partial judging just undercuts all communities because it destroys trust. How can you trust people if they see you according to some preconceived, subjective notion and have already made snap judgements about you? 

Now, there are a couple of critical clarifications that need to be made. Notice, James does not condemn the rich man simply for being rich, nor honor the poor man simply because he is poor. The two characters who walked in are who they are. James rebukes those who act sinfully by treating unequally without any moral cause.

Another clarification is that it is not wrong to make distinctions or judgments in the world. Discrimination is not always wrong. We make distinctions every single day—my wife, not my wife…my kids, not my kids…boys bathroom, girls bathroom…right lane, left lane. What is not being called for is some flattening of all differences. No, what is in view here is the standard by which we judge the differences we see. As Jesus warned in Matthew 7…

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

—Matthew 7:1–2

Jesus and James are not saying to not judge ever. They are warning against the sinful double standard we are prone to. It is not whether we will judge, but rather by which standard will we evaluate the people and world around us? Answer: God’s standard.

Anyone seeking to biblically justify some hyper-egalitarianism or unqualified sameness will find no support here. James is not calling for a solution that seeks to overthrow all systems of hierarchy and produce some flatline equality by taking from the rich to give to the poor—oppress the oppressors! No. In fact that is just the same sin but in the other direction. The solution is not to show favoritism to the downtrodden, but to not show favoritism at all!

And it is this last thought that James unpacks in the final verses of this section, giving us the vision we need to understand one another and treat each other how we would want to be treated.

The Promise

In verse 5, we encounter another transition address of “my beloved brothers”. Rather than turning to a new idea, he doubles down. His tone seems to change too…he seems to be leaning in, sharpening his point for the love of his beloved brothers. He gives another prescription—listen! Pay attention! Don’t just be hearers, but doers…that’s real listening. Partiality is the result of misunderstanding, miscalculating, mistreating people for who they really are. James offers a solution.

The Lord has a different view of people than we do. Recall the process that the Lord directed Samuel to take when looking to replace Saul as the Lord’s anointed. Samuel is directed to Jesse the Bethlehemite and his sons. Saul, you’ll remember, is noted as being a big, strong man, taller than the rest of Israel. He sure looked the part of being king over the united kingdom. But again, things are not what they seem. You’d imagine that if Saul was rejected, Samuel would be on the lookout for someone who is even bigger and stronger and taller to replace him!

When they came, he looked on Eliab (one of Jesse’s sons) and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

—1 Samuel 16:6–7

Our God is never deceived. He always sees, despite what things seem. Unlike you and me, the Lord looks past all of our outward appearances, and looks directly into our hearts. He sees us as we truly are. In a world of instagram curation and appearance projection, the Lord does not buy that bluff. Again, isn’t that both comforting and terrifying?

What a comfort it is that God is never fooled or distracted by our outward facing lives. He does not see you in a certain way because of what is in your bank account or in your garage, what your vocation is or how many followers you have. He does not look at you skeptically, doubting your genuineness and treating you at arm's length. While some men may misunderstand or misrepresent you, what a comfort it is that he sees us for who we truly are.

And yet…that reality is also terrifying! If he sees me for who I truly am, and there is no fooling him, and he can see my heart…then he sees me for who I really am—a desperate sinner. And if he judges perfectly, he will always send the guilty to judgment and he never gets it wrong, then I am so judged. I am helpless before the Almighty. Like Isaiah, we are forced to say, “Woe is me! For I am lost, and I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!” 

And it is here that James reminds us of the upside-down logic of the gospel. The sovereign Lord uses those who are poor and weak and small to overcome the greatest of evils in order to display to the world his power and his glory. Like David, the youngest and smallest son of Jesse, not only is he the anointed one, but he trusts that the Lord will use him to overthrow his enemies, even the giant Goliath. Things are not always what they seem. 

The image James is employing here is of material wealth, and he has already warned us of the dangers of trusting in that. Back in chapter 1, he drew the distinction between the rich and the poor. God often uses hard financial circumstances as a trial, exposing our need and presenting us an opportunity for faith in the God who provides, not our material circumstances.

In fact, James is saying that it is in our poverty, in our helplessness that we are confronted with the reality, daily, of our dependence on God. The rich have their own temptations, but the poor have nothing, and they must depend on God to provide. In short, those who are poor in materials are often rich in faith. And it is that faith, that dependent, hopeful, future-oriented faith that James reminds you carries a promise. To be rich in faith is to be an heir in the kingdom of God, and crucially, to be loved by God himself. Jesus puts it like this…

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

—Matthew 5:3

What a remarkable promise. And notice, we are not just refugees in this kingdom, kept to the outskirts of the kingdom, technically in but stay out sight…no, we are honored heirs! To be rich in faith is to be honored by the one who really matters—God himself. Notice all the way back in v. 1…

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

—James 2:1

This is the only other time James mentions the name of Jesus in this letter—the first being in the opening verse of the letter. And the description of Jesus as the Lord of glory is meant to show us that he and he alone is actually glorious. The rich in this world are like flowers in the field, they come and go and are often not what they seem. Give glory not to them, but to the glorious Christ in whom you belong by faith.

Because we belong to Christ, James exhorts us to treat everyone fairly and equally—show no partiality. But, crucially, only the gospel gives grounding and purpose to this type of equality. In Christ, we are equal, and there is a unity that salvation brings. Unity, and thus community, is possible because of Christ and what he did.

Paul puts it this way in Galatians 3… 

But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

—Galatians 3:25–29

In Christ, we are all equal. In the waters of baptism, there is no difference between kings and peasants, men and women, rich and poor…all cost Jesus the same. All are equal before God as co-heirs with Christ.

So why us? We believe that God, in his sovereignty, did not choose to save anyone based on any condition within us. What is commonly called “unconditional election” is true. Our God does not show favoritism. He did not choose to save or elect anyone here because of any condition within us. He did not choose you because you are American or Russian, white or black, male or female, rich or poor…but simply because he loves you. That is radical! And if we’re going to have any hope in gospel unity and community, we must remember both who God is and what he’s done for us in Christ.

Moses describes this unconditional election of Israel in Deuteronomy 7…

“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

—Deuteronomy 7:6–8

The practical and right effect of such a stunning doctrine is not pride or hubris, but humility. I contribute nothing! There is nothing natural to me that commends me to God, nothing deserving of his favor. But in Jesus, we can actually love one another, care for one another, encourage one another no matter our physical, financial, or status differences because he has first loved me, even when I was unlovable!

So next time you feel yourself tempted to view someone based solely on their externals, be reminded that God has not dealt with you that way. Out of the abundance of his mercy and grace, he has shown you mercy. As Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 8…

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

—2 Corinthians 8:9

That’s the upside-down nature of this incredible gospel. That is the God we serve. In order to maintain his perfect justice, he had to act. The only way for you to experience the riches of his grace was for him to take on your poverty. The son of God took on flesh and dwelt among us. He is not what he seems! The king of the universe stooped so low so that you could be raised up. That is good news! The great promise of the gospel is because of Jesus, we no longer have to live like we used to. We can now obey every command of God’s, including the call to show no partiality. So love your neighbor as yourself, because in Christ, we have unity and equality.