JAMES 2:1-7 UNCOMMON COURTESY

1 My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?

Unqualified hospitality to strangers is a mark of the community of true followers of Jesus Christ. The Incarnation was witnessed by lowly Jewish shepherds and wealthy Persian astrologers, religious leaders and secular rulers, a Roman centurion and a Samaritan woman. Jesus’ death on the cross was the universal offer of salvation. Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus commissioned his disciples to go out into “all the nations” to proclaim the Gospel and baptize and instruct those who believe (Matthew 28:19-20).

Every person has in common the identity of dependent created being and fallen sinner, regardless of his wealth or religious stature. Another universal characteristic is that we are all loved by God with a love that seeks to remedy our eternal need. This is the type of love that we are commanded to have for our neighbors; that is, all the inhabitants of the world. When we see a person, rich or poor, attractive or us or not, like us or different, religious or secular, friend or enemy, we need to remember that God’s loves them with an impartial and self-giving love.

Such a God-love is fundamental to our communal identity as the Body of Christ. But it is an alien characteristic to us as natural men and women. Only through disciplined obedience to God and a dependence upon the transformational power of the Holy Spirit can we even hope manifest such a love. The first step to becoming the community we are called to be is for each of us to intentionally shun partiality and turn all our interactions with the world over to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (B.C.P., p.101)