Faith Turns Favoritism into Mercy
Scripture: James 2:1-13
Faith refuses to play favorites
“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.” (v1)
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. . . and about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. . . he said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
(Matthew 20:1-7)
Faith reflects God’s favor
“Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (v5)
“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’” (Matthew 20:8-9)
Faith respects God’s commands
“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’, you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (v8-9)
“when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house.” (Matthew 20:10-12)
Faith reveals God’s mercy
“For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” (v13)
“so the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:13-16)