July 29, 2025

James 2:1-7  (HCSB)
The Sin of Favoritism
2 My brothers, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For example, a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor man dressed in dirty clothes also comes in. 3 If you look with favor on the man wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or, “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven’t you discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my dear brothers: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that He has promised to those who love Him? 6 Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Don’t they blaspheme the noble name that was pronounced over you at your baptism?

Dana Dorris
After reading this, I started asking myself if there is a deeper meaning other than don’t play favorites because it may come back and bite you! We are supposed to love everyone equally, and favoritism isn’t in the cards for us. James chapters 1 & 2 mention the Law of Liberty. I hadn’t noticed it before, but here it was. The “Law of Liberty” essentially describes the Perfect Law. Not only that, but it’s also said that THIS law, if obeyed, leads to blessings. I then started wondering if my words and actions aligned with this law. Do I look/act differently than unbelievers, or even other Christians in the world? One day I was handed the answer, although I didn’t know it would be used in this reading. I was at work at the hospital, and it was Nurses Week. This is celebrated each year, and the hospital, physicians, and managers do their bit to shower us with gifts and accolades. Well, one provider (all by herself) decided to order 100 pizzas for us, all on her own dime! I thought it was a really sweet gesture. She had them delivered, and when the time came to take our turn, one nurse spoke out and said, “Where did she order the pizza from?” Another nurse answered, “Little Caesars”. Her response hurt my heart...she said (with a turned up nose)...” Ooohh....that’s ‘poor people’s pizza! I think I’ll pass.” I don’t know why this shocked me (I won’t say more than that), but it did. She completely missed the point of the whole gesture; she missed the blessing (or at least someone trying to be generous and kind), and she didn’t care that she did. Needless to say, another nurse and I looked at each other, and at the same time, we said...” You ready to go grab some pizza with me?” and we took off toward the breakroom. I know this story was about pizza, but what came out of her mouth that day said much more about who she was on the inside than it did about what she prefers to eat. I vowed that day that I would be much more purposeful about my words and actions; not for my sake, but because the Law of my Jesus expects me to, and I’m good with that!