Loving The Outcast James 2:1-13 Adapted from a Jim Kilson sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/loving-the-outcast-jim-kilson-sermon-on-compassion-78429.asp

1. Loving The Outcast
James 2:1-13
Adapted from a Jim Kilson sermon
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/loving-the-
outcast-jim-kilson-sermon-on-compassion-78429.asp

2. There’s a story about a Chicago bank that
once asked for a letter of recommendation
on a young Bostonian being considered for
employment. The Boston investment house
could not say enough about the young man.
His father, they wrote, was a Cabot; his
mother was a Lowell. Further back was a
happy blend of Saltonstall’s, Peabody’s,
and other of Boston’s first families.

3. His recommendation was given without
hesitation. Several days later, the Chicago
bank sent a note saying the information
supplied was altogether inadequate. It read:
"We are not contemplating using the young
man for breeding purposes. Just for work.“
We have now moved from the first to the
second chapter of James’ epistle. In this the
second chapter James builds on the theme
of hearing the word of God, and being
doers of that word.

4. He introduced this idea in the verses we
looked at last week.
In this second chapter James exposes the
hypocrisy of those who say that they
hearers and doers of God’s word but still
discriminate against those who are
downtrodden. It’s also important to notice
that violations of the supreme command to
love ones neighbor doesn’t go unnoticed by
God.

5. James 2:1 NET My brothers and sisters, do
not show prejudice if you possess faith in
our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. 2 For if
someone comes into your assembly
wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a
poor person enters in filthy clothes, 3 do
you pay attention to the one who is finely
dressed and say, "You sit here in a good
place," and to the poor person, "You stand
over there," or "Sit on the floor"?

6. 4 If so, have you not made distinctions
among yourselves and become judges with
evil motives? 5 Listen, my dear brothers
and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in
the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the
kingdom that he promised to those who
love him? 6 But you have dishonored the
poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and
dragging you into the courts?

7. 7 Do they not blaspheme the good name of
the one you belong to? 8 But if you fulfill the
royal law as expressed in this scripture,
"You shall love your neighbor as
yourself," (Lev. 19:18) you are doing well. 9
But if you show prejudice, you are
committing sin and are convicted by the law
as violators. 10 For the one who obeys the
whole law but fails in one point has become
guilty of all of it.

8. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit
adultery,“ (Exo. 20:14 & Deu. 5:18) also
said, "Do not murder." (Exo. 20:13 & Deu.
5:17) Now if you do not commit adultery but
do commit murder, you have become a
violator of the law. 12 Speak and act as
those who will be judged by a law that gives
freedom. 13 For judgment is merciless for
the one who has shown no mercy. But
mercy triumphs over judgment.

9. In this passage James uses a hypothetical
situation to show us exactly what pure
religion is not: favoring the wealthy over the
downtrodden and being influenced by the
world’s standards rather than by God’s, he
shows us how to love the outcast.
One of the first things that James shows us
is that we can love the outcast by looking
past…

10. LOOKING PAST THE SUPERFICAL
Sizing up people based on how they look is
a common occurrence. It was true in New
Testament times. It’s just as true today in
the superficial 21st century. Today people
quite naturally assess people by observing
such things as the cut of their clothes, the
label on their jeans, and the way that their
hair is cut.

11. We in our society today are enamored by
wealth and power, common newsstand
magazines tell it all. You never see an
article of expose on a common person.
Our visual senses are based on exterior
factors alone, and this can lead us astray.
This because God doesn’t determine a
person’s value in this way. He doesn’t care
how many times your face is on a magazine
cover or how many fast cars you own.

12. We know that God doesn’t determine value
in this way because Jesus didn’t place
value on people in this manner. As those
who hear God’s word and who are
committed to Christ as Lord, we should try
our best to look at people through the eyes
of Jesus.
The command of looking past the
superficial didn’t originate here with James’
writing. This goes all the way back to the
beginning of the
Old Testament.

13. We find early mention of it in the Mosaic
Law. It states that we are not to be partial to
the poor or defer to the wealthy.
Leviticus 19:15 NET " 'You must not deal
unjustly in judgment: you must neither show
partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You
must judge your fellow citizen fairly.

14. In the New Testament the word for
“favoritism” is explained in the context of
God’s nature.
God does not show partiality.
Romans 2:11 NET For there is no partiality
with God. 12 For all who have sinned apart
from the law will also perish apart from the
law, and all who have sinned under the law
will be judged by the law.

15. This is shown in his acceptance of Gentiles
into the kingdom. Its especially evident by
Peter’s comment during his encounter with
Cornelius.
Acts 10:34 NET Then Peter started
speaking: "I now truly understand that God
does not show favoritism in dealing with
people, 35 but in every nation the person
who fears him and does what is right is
welcomed before him.

16. James desires that they get the strong
impact of the truth. The truth being that
Jesus Christ, our faith in Him and favoritism
don’t mix. He wants his readers to view
their favoritism in light of Christ’s impartial
judgment.
Jesus judges all of us the “SAME!” We
should do likewise. James paints a picture
of this with this hypothetical situation
contrasting two men coming into the
Church.

17. The first of these is from the upper echelon
of society, depicted by the Gold ring, not
only was he rich but also powerful.
The second is of one dressed shabbily, both
body and clothes unwashed because of his
poverty. They wrongly treat the first better
than the second one. We can’t make
accurate decisions based on outside
appearances.

18. 1 Samuel 16:7 NET But the LORD said to
Samuel, "Don't be impressed by his
appearance or his height, for I have
rejected him. God does not view things the
way men do. People look on the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the
heart."

19. I’ve never seen the movie Sea Biscuit, but
evidently in it millionaire Charles Howard
hires Tom Smith a broken-down
unemployed cowboy to be the trainer in his
new horse racing enterprise, Howard
notices Smith working with a seemingly
worn-out horse with a broken leg, when
questioned why smith replies, “you don’t
throw away a life because its banged up a
bit”

20. James isn’t accusing just one person of this
but the whole assembly. This applies not
only to visitors but also to fellow believers.
We are encouraged not to allow superficial,
worldly criteria, to determine our view of a
person’s worth. In the heart of God no
person appreciates or depreciates based on
their exterior.
Beyond looking past the superficial nature
by which most judge people James has us
look at our attitude towards others by
remembering…

21. REMEMBERING OUR EXPLOITED STATUS
James begins this by reminding his readers
of their identities. He does this in an
economic and social setting. The people to
whom James is writing live in a two class
society. They are the haves and the have
not’s. With a few exceptions the Christians
ranked among the have not’s.

22. They weren’t poor because they were
Christians they were poor because of their
standing in the social structure of their day.
James is telling them that their actions are a
discredit to the poor. And since for the most
part they are poor they are a discredit to
themselves and to the faith to which they
were devoted. James now asks a question
to which they already know the answer. He
asks, “Did not God choose the poor”? He
said that the poor were blessed.

23. Luke 6:20 NET Then he looked up at his
disciples and said: "Blessed are you who
are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to
you. It is better to be poor and walk in
integrity than to be rich and corrupt. Wealth
is not an indication of corruptness as
integrity is not a by-product of poorness.
Proverbs 28:6 NET A poor person who
walks in his integrity is better than one who
is perverse in his ways even though he is
rich.

24. Let me state clearly before we move on that
there is nothing wrong with having wealth,
God is the giver of all things and makes us
the stewards of all He gives.
In James’ time the poor were there to be
exploited by the rich (or at least that’s what
the rich assumed.) To prove his point
James asks three questions. The first
question is about oppression.

25. He asks, “Are not the rich oppressing you
and dragging you into the courts?”? In his
day like today the rich have the poor at a
disadvantage. They use the poor to achieve
what they desire. The second question is
based on the word “dragging.” Referring to
being dragged into court.
James assumes that his readers have felt
the long arm of the powerful.

26. 7 Do they not blaspheme the good name of
the one you belong to?
The third question focuses on the damage
the powerful inflict on Christians and Christ
in whom they believe. This probably deals
with insults the rich scoffers hurl at the
Christians. Mocking both them and their
God. In this they were blaspheming God,
the most horrid of offences.

27. James reminds them of their situation as
one way of encouraging them not to play
favorites. It must be clarified that James is
not saying that we need to avoid the rich;
he isn’t saying that at all. All he is doing is
using a hypothetical situation to prove his
point that we shouldn’t be preoccupied with
one person over another.
The final way that James shows us how to
love the outcast is by honoring…

28. HONORING THE LAW OF LOVE
James now clinches his teaching on
favoritism. He reminds us that favoritism
and discrimination violates God’s Law.
Neither they reading in James’ day nor we
today can escape this indictment.
He quotes for them and us the Law of
neighbor love calling it
“The Royal Law”

29. 8 But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed
in this scripture, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself," (Lev. 19:18) you
are doing well. 9 But if you show prejudice,
you are committing sin and are convicted by
the law as violators. 10 For the one who
obeys the whole law but fails in one point
has become guilty of all of it.

30. 11 For he who said, "Do not commit
adultery,“ (Exo. 20:14 & Deu. 5:18) also
said, "Do not murder." (Exo. 20:13 & Deu.
5:17) Now if you do not commit adultery but
do commit murder, you have become a
violator of the law. 12 Speak and act as
those who will be judged by a law that gives
freedom. 13 For judgment is merciless for
the one who has shown no mercy. But
mercy triumphs over judgment.

31. James has taken the Mosaic Law and
interpreted it on the basis of Jesus’
Kingdom teaching. Jesus made the Law of
neighbor love the signature Law on which
Christian and human behavior ought to be
assessed. This Law isn’t like normal law in
which one can be prosecuted for not
following, but imagine what it would be like
if it were!

32. James further makes his point by unfolding
for us a comparison of sorts. Partiality is to
neighbor love as one law is to the whole law
as also murder is to adultery. Violation of
the first is also violation of the second
because in each case the first is part of the
second.

33. It’s important to realize that James doesn’t
see neighbor love as merely part of the
Law, but equal to the whole of the law, the
essence of it! I’m sure he put it this way
because some would dismiss this prejudice
as trivial fault, which it’s nothing of the kind!
James shows us that to truly follow the law
of love, to truly be real about our lives we
need to be merciful to others.

34. One cold winter’s day a 10-year-old boy
was standing barefoot in front of a shoe
store, peering through the window, and
shivering with cold. A lady approached the
boy and asked him what he was doing. "I
was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,"
the boy replied. The lady took him by the
hand and went into the store, and asked the
clerk to get a half dozen pairs of socks for
the boy.

35. The clerk returned with the socks. Placing a
pair upon the boy’s feet, she then
purchased him a pair of shoes, and tying up
the remaining pairs of socks, gave them to
him. She patted him on the head and said,
"No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more
comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the
astonished lad caught her by the hand, and
looking up in her face, with tears in his
eyes, answered the question with these
words: "Are you God’s wife?"

36. James concludes by voicing this life
principle. To be merciful to others, to love
others. It’s easy to love those who you like,
it takes mature faith to love those you don’t.
James now calls this principle the “law that
gives freedom.” James encourages us to
live with each other in such a way that our
lives won’t be out of sync with our Christian
commitment and therefore make it void in
the eyes of God.

37. He is encouraging us to “Get real about
life.” Because if we are the body of Christ,
which we are! We must realize that Jesus
paid much too high a price for us to pick
and choose who should come. Avoidance of
favoritism isn’t a burdensome standard but
a law that sets us free to serve God!
James concludes his teaching simply by
stating that mercy triumphs over judgment.

38. Imitating God by acting and speaking to
others with graciousness give us a ticket to
pass through judgment, confident that we
are one of Christ’s sheep. Judgment then
becomes nothing to fear, it becomes simply
a victory celebration. Do you want to share
in that celebration?
I know I sure do!

39. Jesus is waiting for you, to have that
meaningful relationship with you, to give
you that ticket to eternal life, all you have to
do is love Him.
The person who has my commandments
and obeys them is the one who loves me.
The one who loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him and will reveal
myself to him." John 14:21 NET