v. 16 – showing favoritism to gain advantage.

Devotional:

It is tempting to position yourself in such a way that people who you believe have power will see you and reward you. Tim Keller once said something like, “You know that money has power over you when you treat people in a different economic class than you differently than someone in your class.” He uses money but I think the same is true for power or position and often these things go together. If you treat someone who has more money or power than you differently than you treat a peer who has the same or less money or power than you, you are showing favoritism. And to do so for selfish gain is to place yourself squarely on the bullseye of the enemy’s fiery dart board.

Jude’s brother James says: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:1-4)

James and Jude are both referring to preference given in the Church to the rich and it certainly applies and needs to be said. The commentary is not on whether there are rich and poor people or people who have more authority and those who have less; the commentary is about how we are to treat people regardless of their authority or financial realities. If we run toward them because they have or we push away from them because they have not, then we have abandoned love.

A healthy place to start asking internal questions is on the level of our motivations. Asking ourselves what our motivation is for being in a relationship is often a very revealing thing to do. If our motivation is to gain any kind of personal advantage – this could even mean simply being “seen” as caring – we have missed the heart of what it is to love others as He has loved us (John 13:34-35). In fact, if our motivation is for any reason other than that person’s gain in and through our discipleship of and care for them, we should take it captive and surrender it under Jesus’ lordship knowing that He has pure motives that He can and wants to give us for His glory and our joy.

To be free from the tendency toward partiality requires one to work through their biases and their own personal history around which those biases have been formed. This can often be painful work because like surgery it requires us to get beneath the surface but when done correctly it is freeing work that allows for all kinds of healthy and flourishing relationships with people from all walks of life. I believe that truly honors Jesus and brings joy to those involved.

REFLECTION:

Is there a situation or relationship in which you have shown partiality? If so, take a moment to ask God for forgiveness and seek His wisdom about whether you need to make restitution at all. What biases inform your partiality and how can you shift your motivation in the future?