“My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality. For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here in a good place, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-4)
Being male and female, different races, languages and cultures, being from different countries, different skin colors -all and everything that makes us different are all gifts of God to us . We did not choose to be who we are and what we are-we are born and grow into what we are and who we are now -again, all gifts of God!
The only Truth that matters most is the miracle of our existence-where we came from, purpose of our Being, and where we are destined to be in eternity-and the Truth that All Human Beings, Christians and non-Christians alike are made and reflect the Image of the God who is the Cause of our existence, God our Creator God. It’s this image of God that makes us One. So our relationship with one another, how we relate to one another, how we treat each other ought to be based on what makes us One rather than what makes us different!
At the time James wrote the Letter the social and spiritual lives of the people was all in disorder! When Jesus gave the New Commandment to Love the Lord our God with all our Heart, Mind , Soul and Body , and to love our neighbors, Jesus was not talking to Christians, He was talking to his own people who did not know who He was then-as the God Himself. In our time today , we are called to identify ourselves as made in the image of God, reflective of What God is to those around-to see each other and treat each other as how God would treat us.
For us Christians, Jesus The Way, The Truth and Life shows us by His Life on The Cross! The Message of the Cross and the Life of the Cross must be the central to how we treat each other-not what the world has changed us to our social status which has the potential to divide us to treat others against the command of Jesus Christ. The Cross of Christ makes us one, not two or different!
A big thank you to my friend, Denny Guka, for sharing his insights on James 2 this week. The picture was taken in 2018 when Denny was Bishop of Port Moresby. Dave
