The Peril of Prejudice

   My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

   For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;

   And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool;

   Are ye not then partial in yourselves; and are become judges of evil thoughts?

   Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

   But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

   Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

   If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

   But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law of transgressors.

JAMES 2:1-9

*     *     *     *     *     *     * 

   "Prejudice," said Mark Twain, "is the ink with which all history is written."

   Unfortunately there is much truth to be found in those words. Prejudice and discrimination of every kind have shaped the course of human events down through the centuries. Many of the world's greatest conflicts have been a direct result of the prejudiced thinking of mankind. And prejudice remains rampant in the world today! Everywhere we look, in every corner of the world, we see the turmoil caused by the discrimination of one group of people by another.

   In his book entitled The Roots of Prejudice, Arnold Rose suggests that prejudice almost always involves the "mistreatment of people without their having done anything to merit such mistreatment. It has been a source of human unhappiness and misunderstanding wherever and whenever it has arisen."

   Prejudice, of course, is not new. It has existed in most parts of the world in every period of history. During the past three centuries many Americans have been guilty of showing racial prejudice toward men of red, black, and yellow skin. In other parts of our world, discrimination has been expressed toward the white man in much the same way.

Page 54

   But the color of skin is not always the basis for prejudice and discrimination. Much of the trouble facing our world today is the result of people expressing religious, economic, and political prejudice toward one another.

   In Jesus' day the Jews detested the Samaritans. The "half breeds" from Samaria were looked upon as a godless and inferior people. A good Jew would journey many miles out of his way just so that he would not have to set foot inside Samaria.

   From an earlier time the Egyptians hated the Jews. On several occasions they had even attempted mass extermination of the people of Israel. You'll remember the story of baby Moses, how his mother hid him in a basket so that he would be delivered from the death sentence Pharaoh had placed upon all Jewish baby boys.

   Throughout Scripture we are told of men who were guilty of prejudice. Jonah was a prejudiced Jew who refused to obey God's command to take His message to the city of Nineveh. He was full of bigotry and hate toward the Gentile Assyrians. The apostle Peter also had to be confronted by God in a dream before he was willing to preach the gospel to the Gentiles of Caesaria.

   Regardless of the background, motive, or cause, God's Word emphatically declares that all prejudice is sin. Luke tells us that after Peter was shown the error of his way, he "opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Ac 10:34-35). God is color-blind to skin.

   You see, with God, prejudice makes no sense! Paul refuted the idea of racial superiority by declaring to the intellectuals of Athens that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined

Page 55

the times before appointed, and the bounds in their habitation" (Ac 17:26).

   God is the Creator of the universe! He loves all of His creation, and He is no respector of persons.

   In the second chapter of this epistle, James gives us an excellent example of the evilness of prejudice. Within the early church there were many more "poor" Christians than there were "rich" ones. For the most part, the wealthy Jews of that day held nothing but contempt for those who were followers of the "carpenter's son."

   And so it appears that some people in the church did not know how to treat a man of means. James pictures two men arriving to worship. One man wore a gold ring, goodly apparel, and flashy clothing. The other, obviously poor, arrived in shabby dress. The shortsighted usher who greeted the two quickly showed his feelings by the way in which he seated each man. He placed the well-dressed worshipper in an excellent seat, and the poor man he told to sit on the floor or stand up! He obviously was attempting to impress the rich man and win his favor, while at the same time he was showing no concern whatsoever for the man in shabby clothing.

   In other words, the usher was guilty of prejudice. Undoubtedly he had made class distinctions in his mind before he even got into this spot.

   And yet, as we read the Word of God we find that this type of attitude, or for that matter, any act of prejudice, is totally inconsistent with the grace of God and has no place in the life of the believer.

RESPECT OF PERSONS IS INCONSISTENT WITH GOD'S GRACE

   In refuting the behavior of the nearsighted usher, James declares, "Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom

Page 56

which he hath promised to them that love him?" (Ja 2:5).

   God in His grace often chooses "the poor of this world." The message of the birth of Jesus was first revealed to the poor, humble shepherds. God did not choose to send a special messenger to inform those of royalty that His Son would come to earth. He instead declared that message of good tidings to lowly shepherds—"The poor of this world."

   And consider the One who came to this earth. Jesus Christ was born into the most humble setting—a manger, a feeding place for animals. He came from a poor home. He worked with His hands as a carpenter. He Himself declared that He had "not where to lay his head" (Mt 8:20).

   Yes, my friend, Jesus Christ often identified with the "poor of this world." He knew the problems and needs of the underprivileged and the oppressed. Luke says that Jesus came "to preach [good tidings] to the poor" (Lk 4:18). Throughout His entire earthly ministry He ministered to the down-trodden and needy.

   Some people seem to think that God's love is only for the educated and well-to-do. Like the ignorant usher described by James, they are partial in their acceptance of those who come to worship. To them the cost of a person's clothing is more important than the attitude of his heart. They are, as James says, "judges with evil thoughts" (Ja 2:4).

   The apostle Paul clearly points out that God often uses the insignificant things of this earth to accomplish His purposes. We may be impressed by the strong and the mighty, but God is more interested in that which is sincere and in those who are true and genuine.

   In fact, God places an important estimate on lowliness. Speaking to the church at Corinth Paul declares that "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to

Page 57

confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." Why? "That no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Co 1:27-29).

   My friend, never forget that! Some people are too smart to care. Others are too high and mighty to be interested in the things of God. To many, God's Word is nothing more than foolishness.

   I suppose I have learned some of my greatest lessons from the poor, those whom the world would consider of little importance. What a serious mistake it is to fall into the pitfall of prejudice. God's grace is extended to all men everywhere. Regardless of their position or worth, all men stand equal at the foot of the cross!

   D. L. Moody had a tremendous burden for the downtrodden and neglected. Sunday after Sunday he would travel up and down the streets of Chicago, gathering the tattered little children into the Sunday School. On one occasion Moody promised a class of thirteen boys that if they would maintain good conduct and attend Sunday school regularly through the summer and fall, he would give each of them a new suit of clothes for Christmas. Twelve of the boys earned their suits, and Moody had them photographed in their ragged clothes first, captioning it, Will It Pay? then in their new suits, labeling that, It Does Pay! About 1858, Moody opened his own Sunday school in an old saloon building. It soon became so crowded that the mayor of Chicago offered him the North Market Hall for a meeting place. As founder and director, he filled a variety of offices, from janitor to superintendent.

   "Sunday was a busy day for me then," Moody wrote. "During the week I would be out of town selling boots and shoes, but I would always manage to be back by Saturday night.

Page 58

Often it was late when I got to my room, but I would have to be up by six o'clock to get the hall ready for Sunday school.

   "Every Saturday night a German society had a dance there, and I had to roll out the beer kegs, sweep up the sawdust, clean up generally and arrange the chairs. This usually took most of the morning, and then I had to go out to drum up the scholars.

   "By the time two o'clock came we would have the hall full, and then I had to keep order while the speaker of the day led the exercises. . . . When school was over I visited absent scholars and found out why they were not at Sunday school, called on the sick, and invited parents to attend the evening gospel service." Moody was no respector of persons. He had a love for all men, rich and poor alike.

   To this day a plaque appears at the entrance of Moody Church which reads, "Ever welcome to this house of God are the strangers and the poor."

   Another great man of God, John Wesley, concentrated much of his ministry among the poor who were rejected by the regular church. Much of the social legislation which swept England during the eighteenth century, bringing humane treatment to young and old alike, was a result of his concern for the neglected.

   Unfortunately many Christians today have become pampered and spoiled by things and possessions. We have become so comfortable and smug that we have practically forgotten about a lost and needy world. May that not be so! The inclusive gospel cannot be shared by an exclusive people. Classism, racism, and all other forms of prejudice are not consistent with the grace of God.

   Although the poor were predominant, the early church was made up of all types of people, rich and poor. There was a place for Nicodemus, the Jewish leader, as well as the Samaritan woman. There was room for Onesimus, the slave,

Page 59

as well as for Philemon, his master. There was wealthy Barnabas, who shared his riches with the masses, and there were the poor who had nothing to share. All types of people made up that first church, and yet each one shared a love and concern for all the others.

   You know that is the same kind of love that Jesus expressed for each one of us. Paul says, "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich" (2 Co 8:9). He who possessed all the wealth and power that heaven afforded, was willing to lay aside His riches and come to the earth and die so that you and I might partake in the riches of eternal life.

   I wonder, my friend, is your life characterized by that kind of love for other people? Do you show compassion and concern for all mankind? Or are you a "respector of persons"?

RESPECT OF PERSONS IS INCONSISTENT WITH GOD'S LAW

   James tells us that not only is prejudice inconsistent with the grace of God, but it is also contrary to God's law. In chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, James says, "If you fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, you do well: but if you have respect to persons, you commit sin." Yes, prejudice is inconsistent with God's law. To label people as worthy and unworthy, as good and bad, as acceptable and repulsive, is contrary to God's law and thoroughly anti-Christian. In Jesus Christ, "There is neither Jew nor Greek . . . bond nor free . . . male nor female" (Gal 3:28).

   What is the royal law? In Leviticus 19:18 we read, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Jesus endorsed this in Matthew 19:19, "Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Love

Page 60

of God and love of man, who is made in God's image, is God's law.

   Respect of persons is not merely an error of judgment or a breach of etiquette—it is a violation of God's royal law. God's Word plainly teaches the equality of all humanity. God is the Creator of all mankind. In His sight all are equal. God has no favorites.

   The Bible says that when Jesus "saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd" (Mt 9:36). The word compassion is actually made up of two words—con, meaning "together" or "with", and passion, meaning "to suffer." Jesus "suffered with" the multitudes. He was moved by their needs. He did not choose certain ones upon whom to bestow His love. He had "compassion" on all the people.

   If we as Christians are going to accomplish anything for Jesus Christ in this generation, we must possess an attitude of unselfish love for all mankind.

RESPECT OF PERSONS IS SIN

   Respect of persons is inconsistent with God's grace. It is inconsistent with God's law. In fact, respect of persons is an act of sin. Classism and racism are an insult to God. "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (Ja 2:9).

   A young boy grew up in the streets of New York City. His mother was Puerto Rican, his father was a Negro. He never really knew where he belonged. He trusted no one, and his days and nights were filled with hatred and rebellion. From gang fighting he turned to narcotics. Heroin became his god. And because he had learned the power of fear early, he became a stickup artist. It was routine for him to hold a

Page 61

knife against someone's throat in order to get money for drugs.

   Then one day he stumbled into a little church. It was not beautiful to look at, it has cracks in the walls, but the love of Jesus Christ flowed out to soften his tough heart in a way he had never known before. No one there that day commented on his dirty clothes. No one told him to sit in the back row of seats. Instead, the leader offered to give him food and a clean bed.

   Through the services which spoke of God's love for him, and through the personal counseling that the pastor gave, the deep wounds in that boy's heart began to heal. The love he now contains makes life not a hateful indignity to escape but an opportunity to help others know the filling of God's Spirit.

   My friend, all of us are guilty of showing prejudice to those around us. Perhaps you have been partial in your treatment of other people—men and women for whom Christ died. God's Word tells us that attitudes and actions of prejudice are not just minor mistakes. They are a violation of God's law, open and outright sin against God Himself. Let us humbly repent our sin, seeking to express our concern and love to all men everywhere.

* "But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors" (Ja 2:9).

* God is the Creator of the universe! He loves all of His creation, and He is no respector of persons.

* God is color-blind to skin.

* The inclusive gospel cannot be shared by an exclusive people.

* To label people as worthy and unworthy, as good and bad, as acceptable and repulsive, is contrary to God's law and thoroughly anti-Christian.

Chapter Six  ||  Table of Contents