The entire second chapter of  the book of James addresses two areas: the hypocrisy of prejudice (James 2:1-13) and the life-altering alliance between faith and works (James 2:14-26). Prejudice, bitterness, segregation, hatred, disturbance, hurt, anger, and division rage between people. They rage in the hearts of husbands and wives, children and parents, students and teachers, neighbors and workmen, races and religions, denominations and organizations, neighborhoods and nations. Division in all its various forms is one of the greatest problems confronting the world. It is the most serious problem confronting men, for as long as men are divided from God and from each other, there is no hope of man’s ever being reconciled to God. God’s eternal purpose has been to create a new body of people, a people who will love Him and each other supremely. Note that this is what is known as the great mystery of Christ. ¹ Using the rich and poor as an illustration, James disassembles the sin of prejudice, as it existed in the congregation.

James 2:1 (KJV)
¹ My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

• What images do you suppose the descriptor, ‘Lord of Glory’, conjures for an Israelite?
• Tales of the glory were part of their heritage like Columbus coming to America or Washington, crossing the Potomac.
• Why wouldn’t it? After all, this is a Christian-Hebrew assembly.
• Clan fathers would sit with their loved ones and recall Israel’s odyssey with the Glory.
• In hushed tones, they spoke of what their ancestors saw.
  • The lightning.
  • The cloud.
  • The smoke.
  • The brightness.
  • The thunder.
• They recalled the Exodus.
• They remembered how the glory moved behind Israel, standing as a barrier between them and the crazy mad Egyptian army.
• Go behind them? A barrier?
• Yes, a solid wall of Glory so potent it ripped the wheels off Pharaoh’s tank chariots.
• Try running through such a blockade. No chance.
• Pharaoh’s bunch found it out in a hurry.
• Picture it. A Hoover Dam of Glory on one side.
• On the other? The Red Sea splitting into two Jericho like walls of its own.
• Somewhere in the geological strata of the Nile lies the evidence of Egyptian futility.
• The Glory got them.
• The Glory buried them.
• Exodus 33:18-19 says the Glory is the goodness of God to a man.

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Exodus 33:18–19 (KJV)
¹⁸ And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. ¹⁹ And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

• We have thought of goodness as God’s mercy wrapped in swaddling clothes.
• It is, towards His kids.
• But towards the abusers of his kids, his kindness warps into the pro-active protectiveness of a parent.
• God considers it a righteous thing to fulfill the role of Father.
• Others, besides Pharaoh have tried to challenge the Lord.
• Rebel attempts against the Glory dot the human timeline.
• The casualties testify to the hollowness of human arrogance.
• Miriam’s uninvited criticism of her brother did not survive its encounter with the Glory.

Numbers 12:1 (KJV)
¹ And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

• The earth split like the Red Sea to swallow Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16:19-35).
• Israel’s unbelief  fared no better (Numbers 14:10-12).
• Against this backdrop, James steps forward.
• He slides favoritism, you know lousy stinging prejudice, within ten Greek words of the Lord of Glory.
• What do you think? Can it fare any better?
• You know as well as I, it has as much chance of survival as Dagon did before the Ark of the Covenant (1 Sam. 5:1-4).
• But remember, James addresses, born again, blood washed sons of God here.
• They just happen to be acting like sons of Pharaoh instead.
• Mere unchanged men.
• Thank God for the Blood. Thank God for Jesus.
• If it wasn’t for His intercession, break out the shovels, man.
• It would be grave digging time again.

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Call to Action:

Prejudice cannot stand in the presence of the Glory of God. Since it’s the will of God that things be in earth the way they are in heaven (Matthew 6:10),  then it must become our business to eradicate prejudice, favoritism and partiality on any level from our lives.

Question:  What did you do to overcome the degrading effects of prejudice? Please share your comments in the comments section below.

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