Sunday, November 18

James 2

Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. James 2 starts exactly with that: " Don't show favoritism."  Don't discriminate, but love. It tells us that every time we assess and treat differently a person, based on the outside appearances- job, clothes, car, jewelry, zip code, looks- we discriminate and " become judges with evil thoughts". James 2:4. We are reminded that the worldly standards are different than the kingdom standards. What  is perceived as inferior in this world ,could be the  exact opposite in God's kingdom. James 2:5 

"Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? " James 2:6  I grew up in a small village in Romania. My parents were simple farmers. They had such a veneration for people who were highly educated, had good jobs and got to live in the city. For a while I held the same values. However, I slowly realized that all those things we valued,  were simple masks.  The inside of a person is what matters.  I've learnt that beautiful, perfect masks more often than not, hide evil characters.  Very often that beautiful mask doesn't hesitate to hurt, lie, mistreat. Real beauty, honesty, sensitivity are found a lot of times, under a not so perfect mask.

James 2  is an invitation to look deeper,  under the mask.  It will be, on one hand,  for our own benefit. "Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." Mat 10:16.  "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pe ` arls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Mat  7:6 On the other hand, when we look under a person's mask, we can determine how to love that person. "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?   Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:14-17

We fortunately live in a society where we don't have to worry about our basic needs. But how many people around us,  are starved spiritually? Jesus is the daily food and clothes. How can we  put our love and faith into action for these people?

Happy Thanksgiving! 

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