James 2:1-7

When we are in the midst of trials we often feel tempted to believe we are powerless and without hope. We do not want to stay where we are, in the midst of the difficulty. We want to find a way out if we can, and we want to associate ourselves with those that we think can help. We look for people whom we think have some glory, some prestige that will rub off when we are with them. Or maybe we are hoping that they will share some of their prestige with us and that we will be lifted out of our difficulties because of our association with them. Our lives, in the middle of these trials seem without glory, without anything good in them.

It is tempting to deal with difficult circumstances by comparing ourselves with others and by using the world's standards to decide who is worth giving honor to and who is not. I might even feel some shame associated with my struggles in life. I may look at someone who seems to have it all together and to be blessed and wonder what is wrong with me. What did I do to deserve this? Am I not as good as these people who are so well off in their lives? Why does my life have to be so hard?

Or I may look at those who don't have much in the world and are obviously struggling and think, well at least I am not as bad as them? What is their problem? Why did they allow themselves to get into such a mess?

It is interesting how easy it is to judge others and size up their worth compared to us. We are tempted to do it all the time and when life is hard, the temptation is even stronger. James is warning his readers against doing just this. You could almost title this section, "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places." The people in this congregation are honoring the rich who come to their worship services. The rich have power and authority in our world. In Biblical times people often thought that riches was a special sign of God's blessings. James' readers hope in their preferential treatment of these rich people that they will receive some blessing as well. It seems that they believe these people have to some important degree the ability to tell them who they are and to provide them with real life.

But James reminds them of the sad truth about these very people they are so eager to please. They are the ones who, in general, oppress them, drag them into court, and even "blaspheme the honorable name which was invoked over (them)." These are not people primarily interested in what is best for those James is writing to. They are not attempting to reflect to others the good truth about our heavenly Father and our real identities as His beloved children. In fact they view others in terms only of what benefits themselves. They are unable to see the truth about others because they do not know the truth about God and themselves. Why, James is asking his readers, are you seeking to honor these rich and so receive some glory or blessing from them for yourselves?

There are some among you, James tells them, that can bless you, can remind you of the wonderful reality that we know only by faith. These are the poor among you! Unfortunately, they have not yet seen the richness of these people. They are missing the blessings these people have to offer because they see them only as the world sees them. They are assuming because the poor have no earthy prestige, power, or authority, that they have nothing helpful to offer. Notice the irony: James' congregation is treating the poor in a similar way to how the rich treat them, with contempt.

How did it happen that in this congregation people were seeking for blessing from those least interested in blessing them and missing the blessing that others could give them because they didn't see any good in them? Because they forgot in their troubles that Jesus is "the Lord of glory." We struggle and so we wonder, where is the glory in this? What blessing can be had here? And then we look around us at those who seem to be blessed compared to us, who seem to "have it all together" or just have it better than we do and we are tempted to look to them to tell us who we are, to give us a share in the more glorious life they seem to have.

But Jesus is the one and only "Lord of glory." Why does James give Jesus this title here, in this passage? Because his readers need to be brought back to the right place to look for help in their times of trouble. Jesus is the one who is truly glorious, honorable, all-powerful and prestigious. And He is intimately interested in sharing His glory with us. He is making us His very own sisters and brothers. He is the God who "gives to all generously and without reproach,"(1:5) and He is the One who gives "every good endowment and every perfect gift."(1:17)

Before Jesus, we are all the same. We at best share in and reflect His glory. There is no need for distinctions when we see He is our one true source of glorious life. We can stop running after others for affirmation, stop honoring only those we think might be able to benefit us, and be open to receive blessings from God from the surprising places He desires to give them. What a freedom and a joy when we truly allow God to tell us who we are, when we allow Him to show us His presence and work in our lives right now. We often miss out on receiving fully and enjoying what He is doing in our lives, how He is sharing His glory with us, because we are looking for it--in all the wrong places, that is, any place outside of our relationship with Jesus Christ.