Trailblazin Ministries

Favoritism: Part 5 - James 2:5a

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Monday, 17 September 2007

When last we looked at James, we see him making a very important declaration when it comes to the issue of showing favoritism towards people. This declaration was that in doing these we have selfish motives at heart, with hopes that by showing favoritism it will somehow reflect positively in your favor. This is very contrary to the character of a true believer, and this is exactly what James was speaking of. Now that he has given his example and exposed their motives through a bit of harsh reality, James now begins to soften up his tone as he entreats them to take a look at the inconsistency that is found in showing favoritism, especially when it concerns neglecting the poor. For our look at this, we will go to verse 5.

James 2:5a (NASB95) - Listen, my beloved brethren:

We can see at the outset of this verse that James is beginning to soften his tone and speak in a more loving pastoral voice, instead of one of harshness. It is here that we begin to see his shepherding heart and true concern for those to whom he is writing. This is seen first off with the opening word "listen" which comes from the Greek word akouō (Strong's #G191). This word, in the Greek, generally has one of four connotations: 1) hear, 2) listen, 3) give heed to, or 4) comprehend. Whichever one of these definitions we want to use, we still walk away with the sense that James wants his readers to pay attention and listen closely to what he is getting ready to say. It is almost like a parent who softens their voice and tells their child to listen closely when they are getting ready to tell them something very important; this is most likely a similar scenario. And again, we can see the softness of James' tone as he once again refers to his readers as "my beloved brethren." By again using this phrase, we can get a sense of intimacy that James has with his readers, as well as his genuine concern for their wellbeing and spiritual growth. All of this is to setup what James is getting ready to entreat of them.

You see, in the previous four verses, James spoke with some rather harsh words, both in his example of the rich and the poor man entering the church and in telling them that they had selfish motives in doing so. His example and directness of speech needed to be said in that manner to drive home the point, but in doing so, even as a contemporary reader, you can see just how offensive those words can be. Wouldn't you be offended and put on the defense if someone accused you of showing favoritism towards the rich and neglecting the poor? And then wouldn't you get even more defensive if that was followed up by being told that you had selfish motives behind those actions? Even if you weren't one of those people doing those things, it would still probably hit you just as hard, having you check your motives and make sure you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. So, if you put yourself in the shoes of those Jewish believers who were reading this letter, you could see the kind of mindset they would most likely have been in after reading those first four verses. It is with that in mind that James chose to soften his tone and come at them in love, instead of continuing to verbally thrash them with such harsh words and accusations.

So, what we see here, again, in these first few words to open up this verse are some kind and loving words that are directed at bringing his readers back in to pay attention to what he is getting ready to say to them. He knows that they were probably offended by his last few sentences, so he needed to calm their spirits and let them know that he is speaking both the truth of God, but he is also doing it in love and out of genuine concern for their spiritual wellbeing. In our next devotion, we will take a look at what James had to say to them as we dive into the second half of verse 5 and possibly the beginning of verse 6. Until then, know that the Word of God is both convicting and comforting!