Unselfish Sacrifices

James 2:1-5 - My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  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,"  have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  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?

If we have truly listened to the authors of the Bible …before James…we have been told this many times before.  Moses was given the first copy of this rule on the holy mountain.  God told Moses…even wrote it down for him...when he told him to love God above all else. But the first time it is explained…recorded in these exact words is in Leviticus 18.  Jesus’ own words were even recorded in Matthew 22 and Mark 12….when it seems that many people still did not understand this simple rule….or….is it that they were  just too selfish to comprehend.

I try really hard to be honest when I am writing…so this is another one of those rules I really needed to hear and process again. I have shared many times about the ME disease that surrounds me every day.  I think that many of us have to wade through the selfish tendencies the world has established into our being.  Even the great leader Moses …never could get it completely out of the group he led either. So God allowed his half brother James…who probably di this himself at one point…paint a picture in these verses of a very dangerous symptom of this disease…the part where we judge who deserves our love and who we should ignore.  The danger…we only share our love..which is really God’s love with the ones we think look safe…look clean….look like they deserve it.

God’s love is for everyone. We have been told the rich men of our world will have a harder time loving God without their riches….so we can’t stop loving on them…but we are supposed to treat the poor man the same.  The poor man…the dirty one beside the road with that sign…that lady in jail …they desperately need the support of God’s love to pull themselves out of whatever hole they fell into to get where they are. I know God will bless those that get this one right….cause when we learn to be the least…he makes us great.

Just a few verses later…he says that we should show our faith by what we do. He tells us to start sacrificing what we want to do what God wants….like Abraham …who in faith….completely sacrificed his only son Isaac...before an angel stopped the hand that drew back to be totally obedient to God. And…like God…who sacrificed his son for my sins….he didn’t send an angel to stop those nails from piercing his hands and feet because I looked poor and dirty.

Father …I will never be able to comprehend…no…someday I hope to comprehend the sacrificial love that allows you to love me unconditionally.   Give me an extra portion of whatever it takes to make my heart more unselfish….to help me rid myself of every last shred of the selfishness that causes me to judge others by anything else but their love for others.  Thank you for allowing me to keep working on this one…and thank you for giving these great words to your brother James. Amen.