"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?" James 2:2-4
"A man with a gold ring" was evidence of wealth back then. "Goodly apparel" means that he had on fine clothes ~ bright clothes. He was ostentatious, if you please. His clothing is contrasted with that of the poor man. Someone has once said, "Some go to church to close their eyes, and others go to eye the clothes." We have made Sunday a time when we Christians put on our Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes. A great many people come to church overdressed. There's a flash about them!
This rich man makes his entrance into church with flags flying and a fanfare of trumpets. It is as if he drives up in his gold Cadillac, getting out as his chauffer opens the door for him. He walks in with his head high like a peacock. He is like the rich man the Lord Jesus spoke of in the true story of the rich man and Lazarus: "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day" (Luke 16:19). He "fared sumptuously" means that life was one continual party for him.
In contrast, the poor man, who James mentions here, comes in with tattered and torn clothing. It may be clean, but there is evidence of patches and poverty. He may even be shabby and shoddy. He may be dilapidated and deteriorated. He may have seen better days, but he doesn't have any Sunday clothes. James places these two men in contrast ~ each is at an extreme end of the social ladder.
In our affluent society we use other occasions as an excuse to dress up, but certainly many people use church as an occasion to do that. Easter Sunday is a good example of "fine" dress. ". . . and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool." In our day this would be like putting the poor man way back where the ushers sit or telling him to stand up in the rear. In that day there were only a few seats down front where only the prominent people were allowed to sit. I remember reading once about how in the United States there was a day when we had paid pews in our churches. They had a little door to them, and only the family which paid for that pew could sit there on Sunday. You couldn't sit with whomever you wanted to sit. And today we have our little cliques who take a certain section in a church, and woe to the stranger (especially if he is not well dressed) who comes in and sits next to that crowd! Sadly enough in most instances, he will get a cold shoulder.
"Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?" After James has put these two men in contrast, he's actually asking, "Aren't you actually being partial in yourselves or aren't you making distinctions among yourselves and becoming judges with evil motives?" Perhaps we should always ask ourselves, "Is it wrong to judge a person by their economic status?" You know, wealth may indicate intelligence, wise decisions, and hard work. On the other hand, it may only mean that a person had the good fortune of being born into a wealthy family. Or it may be the sign of greed, dishonesty, or selfishness. By honoring someone because they dress well we are making appearance more important than character. Wealthy people are not superior to the poor! If we say that Christ is our Lord, then we must live as He requires, showing no favoritism and loving all people regardless of whether they are rich or poor. Try it! Be Christ-like!
May the Lord bless you with a wonderful day today!
Love in Christ Jesus, Sandy |
