James, Session 5: Mercy over Partiality

Read the passage: James 2:1-13 (ESV, Bible Gateway)

What kind of people would be in your perfect church?

Read James 2:1-13

Considering v1, why is showing partiality while believing in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, contradictory?
Considering v2-4, what judgment, or assumptions, is a person who behaves like this making?
- Why might we/a church show partiality like this? What’s underneath such an attitude?
- Imagine two people like James describes came to our church one Sunday morning. How might a scenario like the one James depicts play out? What stages might there be?
- What else does the Bible have to say about judging by external appearances? Why does it highlight this as an issue?
- What other kinds of people might we/churches/church leaders show partiality to?
  - Are you prone to doing this?
- Considering the gospel, are we the rich man or the poor man?
- How does the gospel free us from evaluating people like this?
Look at v5. In what ways might this be true? What might James be referring to?
Considering v6-7, how might the rich oppress and blaspheme Christians and Christ?
Look at v8. What does James say is the ‘royal law’ of scripture?
- Look at Luke 10:25-37. What was the lawyer wanting to know?
- How do the attitude and actions of the Samaritan exemplify what it means to show no partiality?
- Look at Romans 13:8-10. Why does loving our neighbour sum up God’s law?
Considering v8-9, how does partiality break God’s law? (How is it a failure to love your neighbour as yourself?)
In v10-11, what consequence of showing partiality does James give? What’s his logic?
Considering v12-13: what motive does James give us for showing mercy and not partiality?
- Thinking more widely, what other motives are there for doing the right thing?
- Which motives work best for you, do you think?

Recap & Reflect

How does the gospel change the way we view and treat both the rich and the poor?

How does it change the way we view ourselves?

Pray for Jesus to give you his eyes, to see and love people the way he does, regardless of their material worth.

Leader’s notes

The notes are here to help you lead a group and answer tough questions. The idea isn’t to read the “right” answer out after each question, but rather to give you support or a helpful nudge in guiding your discussion in the right direction. Feel free to use them as best suits your group.

Considering v1, why is showing partiality while believing in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, contradictory?
Christ is the Lord of glory, yet he humbled himself for us. He did not show partiality towards us. We were/are unworthy of his attention, but he gave it freely.
Considering v2-4, what judgment, or assumptions, is a person who behaves like this making?
They’re making a judgement about the worth of an individual – based on their appearance of their wealth
- Why might we/a church show partiality like this? What is underneath such an attitude?
  There are many potential reasons, but for example, as well as making generalised judgements as to someone’s ‘worth’ we may think that this person would be useful (or not!) to know – that I or my church might benefit from befriending them – so our motive for showing partiality might be selfish or self-seeking, or because we mistakenly think the Lord’s work depends on the wealthy and influential.
- What else does the Bible have to say about judging by external appearances? Why does it highlight this as an issue?
  The choosing of David: 1 Samuel 16:6-7; The gospel is for Jew and Gentile – God does not show partiality: Romans 2:9-11. Judging by external appearances fails to rightly evaluate the heart, or the worth of the person as an image bearer of God. It can also lead us to make wrong assumptions about someone’s trustworthiness or giftedness etc.
- What other kinds of people might we/churches/church leaders show partiality to?
  The intelligent, high-ranking. The famous. Those we think are ‘strategic’. Race/colour.
- How does the gospel free us from evaluating people like this?
  When we understand we’re the poor man, we won’t be partial
Look at v5. In what ways might this be true? What might James be referring to?
To choose the poor does not mean God favours them; though the prophets make it clear he has special regard for them. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says the poor are blessed, and elsewhere warns the rich, as do the other NT writers; See also what Paul says about those who are called: 1 Corinthians 1:26- 31; God simply does not choose based on ‘worth’.
Considering v6-7, how might the rich oppress and blaspheme Christians and Christ?
James is likely referring to a specific local situation, but it’s still worth thinking how this might happen today.
Look at v8. What does James say is the ‘royal law’ of scripture?
- Look at Romans 13:8-10. Why does loving our neighbour sum up God’s law?
  Paul lists several of the Ten Commandments that refer to how we are to behave towards others. Negatively speaking, to break any of these commandments is to fail to love the person we are sinning against – who is also our neighbour. Positively speaking – and taking the commandments Paul gives – to honour someone else’s marriage, to protect the life of another, to honour their property and to refuse to feel jealousy or envy towards them is to love them.
Considering v8-9, how does partiality break God’s law? (How is it a failure to love your neighbour as yourself?)
If we were poor we would not want others to be partial against us. Rather, we would want them to care for us and to do us good. Therefore, to love our neighbour as ourselves is to treat them as we would want to be treated if we were in their shoes.
In v10-11, what consequence of showing partiality does James give? What’s his logic?
James is arguing that to show partiality is to break God’s law. Therefore, someone cannot congratulate themselves that they are keeping God’s law – and thus are living a good life – because they don’t commit adultery or murder, when all the time they’re showing partiality against the poor. So, to show partiality is to be a law-breaker, it is to be one whom God’s law condemns.
Considering v12-13: what motive does James give us for showing mercy and not partiality?
It is the motive of eternal judgement – to live knowing that one day we will give an account for the mercy we have, or have not, shown to others.

Download the complete study: Bible study on James (PDF)