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?
In this example, James once again applies his very logical brain to a specific issue. The topic at hand is why a believer in Christ must not show favoritism (See verse 2). Why is this important?
Discriminating between rich and poor is not the problem. It is the symptom. It is a sign of a deeper problem that infects the soul.
When we allow evil thoughts into our mind it shows. It shows first to God who sees and knows all. James points out that what is going on is obvious to him as well. People who discriminate among brothers in Christ have become “judges with evil thoughts.”
Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
— Matthew 7: 1-2
James understands this, now that his half-brother has risen from the dead. His judgments of Jesus before he was crucified have come back to haunt him. Indulging in passing judgment on others depends on accepting the lie that we are god-like enough to be a judge. (Judging in this sense of the word involves knowing things only God can know, like what is in a person’s heart.) The lie that you or I can step into God’s shoes is a very evil thought indeed.
Application: Think about the people you see every day. As you picture them in your mind, do you sense that you are judging them as well? There are certain judgments we are to make, but judging the heart based on appearances is not one of them.
Food for Thought: What do other believers see in a person who honors the rich while disdaining the poor?
I think we can all see the hypocrisy of saying worldly wealth is not something we should bow down to and then bow down to it. Embracing worldly values is rejecting godly values, and is rejecting God Himself (1 John 2: 15). It makes me nervous how often I might do this without even thinking about it. God help us all. And thank You Lord for Your limitless mercy and grace.
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I am a struggling believer in this. I see how much others are richer in their walk with Jesus. How far behind I am. I see how they grew up in a loving family always knowing Jesus. I know I have a poor sinful past without knowing our Lord. So i am the one who knows his place to sit at the floor. Humble enough to know my place guilty of my transgressions. Asking to still be forgiven and loved for who I am.