You Are Doing Well

My brothers and sisters, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.  For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and is dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes also comes in, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?  

 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters: did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?  But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?  Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

James 2:1-8 

I have seen this happen at church.  New people show up driving an expensive car and wearing fancy clothes and the pastor goes out of his way to befriend them.  I could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes because he was thinking they would bring a cash windfall to the church.  Which maybe they did give a substantial gift once, but then they being irregular church goers became, irregular givers.  The same pastor payed little or no attention to a couple who had two small children and volunteered at the church.  Little did he know that they were very generous givers and it was only when they departed for another church did he want to engage with them, but it was too late.  

James' point is that we should not favor wealthy people over poor people.  We should love them all the same and respect their gifts.  Where a wealthy person may bring big cash offerings to the church, the poor person may bring their willingness to volunteer to do the work of the church.  And, God loves the rich and the poor.

We then are to remember Jesus' commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  And, if so, you are doing well.