James 2:1–4: “My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and to the poor person, ‘You stand over there,’ or ‘Sit on the floor’? If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?”

Isn’t this powerful? The norm seems to be that the rich have a prominent position and the poor—nothing for them. But James is saying, “No, it has to be the opposite here.” James is saying you cannot put a value on somebody just because of their material possession.

That is amazing thinking. It is telling you that what God values is not what human beings value. He is saying you should begin thinking in terms of what God values. Because somebody is poor does not mean that person is not as valued before God.

This is part of my series talking about the power of the gospel and how it has transformed the world.

It is particularly poignant here that among believers, among the people of God, you are being encouraged to think differently about material possessions, about the rich—and not start presenting them as, “This is what we value now.” Because if that is what we value, we begin to show people that that is also what God values.

But rather, God values the poor (James 2:5). If I already know that my value is not tied to material things before God—that my spiritual value is based on the fact that I am valued enough for Christ to die for me (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)—then my perception is changed, and then the whole society is changed.

Then you have what we call the dignity of labor. Paul said, “The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may share with the one who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). So we have a whole structure of society that wants to help the weak, that wants to give room to assisting the poor. That is the power of the gospel and how it has changed history.

Paul said, “I went up… and laid before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles… they added nothing to me, only they asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I was also eager to do” (Galatians 2:1–10, esp. v.10). Meaning, it is in the DNA of the church to want to help the weak, to prioritize the poor, to give assistance to the poor.

Jesus had a money bag from which they gave to the poor (John 13:29). Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35), speaking in the context of helping the weak, materially speaking. And John wrote that if you see your brother in need and have this world’s goods, and close your heart against him, how does the love of God abide in you? (1 John 3:17).

I am saying we are seeing a gospel that talks about the poor in a positive light: that the poor have been chosen as heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5). If that is how God is seeing people, what about me? What about you? You should also see people like that. I should also see people like that. I should also value people like that.

Look at the disposition of Scripture: helping the poor, not taking advantage of the poor.

God bless you. See you later.