Study 3 from “The Work of Faith” Study on James: James 2:1-13
“Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance now and always.
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.”
from the traditional Irish hymn “Be Thou My Vision”1
Questions for initial thought: What is our measure of success in life? To what are we aspiring? How do we measure success in others? What do we look to as the solution for our trials and suffering in the Christian life?
What does it look like, practically speaking, for the Gospel to transform our lives and hearts? If God has implanted His Word within us (as we saw last study), how does the process of becoming more like Jesus (i.e., sanctification) work? As James has already shown us, it does not look like sitting back idly and expecting great results. Rather, gospel-transformation looks like examining ourselves in light of the mirror of Christ, and working in faith that He will continue to be at work within us.
The rest of James’ letter will give us practical tools for self-examination and growth. And this growth begins, as we will see today, with examining where we find our greatest treasures. Growing in faith looks like learning to judge riches and success not based on outward appearances, but by the Gospel itself, and through the law of liberty.
Judging Riches by the Gospel (vv.1-7)
Ask yourself: Why do you think riches and outward appearance are a starting place for growth in faith in the book of James?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns about storing up earthly riches, saying that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:1). This is the idea that we find James unpacking in 2:1-13 of his letter. As a practical book, James is going to show his audience how this temptation to riches plays out in the church. He is going to show what it looks like to grow in acting out of a heart that values Christ’s riches above all else.
And even though James unpacks it here, he has already talked about how the truth of the gospel challenges the view of worldly riches. We might remember his introduction, where James says that, in God’s wisdom, “the lowly brother [should] boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation” (Js 1:9-10). Yes, earthly riches perish like the flowers of the field. But God’s eternal Word, abiding in us, means that, rich or poor, we will receive the “crown of life,” worth more than all the treasures of this world (Js 1:11-12; & cf. Isa 40:7-8; I Pet 1:3-5).
But the reality is, as James knows, the desire for earthly riches is deep-seated in the human heart. Valuing riches and comfort was a temptation for James’ Jewish audience, much as we find it in our western context (and even western churches) today. The early church was birthed in a Grecco-Roman society of class structure and elevation of the rich. At the same time, as is clear in Jesus’ teachings in the gospels, the Jews also had high regard for the wealthy and those of higher class, which was particularly evident in their synagogues. It felt only too natural to prefer those of higher class and rank in the early church. And it is a distinction that, if we are honest, feels far too easy and natural to make.
So James writes, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (2:1). The problem is that this is exactly what the church was doing: showing deference to those of higher class, and snubbing the poor and lowly (vv.2-4). And if we are honest, it is what happens too easily in our churches today. Yet James warns that making such distinctions is like becoming “judges with evil thoughts” (v.5). Such thoughts judge the outward appearance, rather than looking at the heart (cf. I Sam 16:7). More pointedly, these actions reflect the greatest values and aspirations of our own heart. James’ warning is not about simply becoming advocates for social equality; it is about helping us examine how deeply we are allowing God’s truth to penetrate into our lives and hearts.
Yes, heart issues need serious consideration and self-examination. But James is not coming at his audience to condemn them. Even as he points out the sin of partiality, he again speaks gently, “Listen, my beloved brothers…” (2:5a). It is a sincere exhortation to consider the truth of the implanted word in our lives. “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?” (2:5b). James urges us to consider: the gospel offers riches far greater than any earthly wealth or prestige! God offers a “crown of life,” and an everlasting kingdom in His presence, free from the trials, temptations, and sufferings of life, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we still prioritize earthly riches above God’s kingdom, James is showing us it is a reflection that our own hearts need to grow in understanding our own humility before Him, and the riches of His kindness and grace. This is why Jesus remarks that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt 19:24). It is why the Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God” (Lk 6:20). It is this same Lord Jesus who “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” that we might have life (Phil 2:7-8 & context). And it is the same Lord Jesus Christ who, “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (II Cor 8:9).
Does the way that we treat others reflect a heart that is overwhelmed by the humility of Jesus for us? Or are we still enamored by the showiness of wealth, such that we are blinded to its false allure? “Are not the rich the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?” (Js 2:6-7). Yes, when we catch ourselves in the temptation of showing partiality, it should be a call to seek God’s wisdom; to hear His truth, and to do as He has called, trusting His implanted word at work within us!
Learning Mercy by the Law of Liberty (vv.8-13)
Ask yourself: What is the “royal law” of v.8? What does it look like to “really fulfill it” according to Scripture? And how does this relate to the sin of partiality? Can we truly fulfill the royal law?
But perhaps we feel that we are doing okay in not showing partiality. “After all, my church is full of all kinds of people,” we might think, “and I talk to everyone.” James offers us another point to consider: “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 convicted by the law as transgressors” (2:8-9).
In this context, James is using “the royal law” to refer to the Second Greatest Commandment: to love your neighbor as yourself. It is a “royal law” because it is a law to govern how those who belong to God’s Kingdom should act. And fulfilling the second greatest commandment (the summation of Commandments 5-10), flows out of living the first commandment, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30, where Jesus summarizes Commandments 1-4). Yes, do these things, James affirms, and “you are doing well.”
Am I loving my neighbor (i.e., those whom Jesus puts in our paths) as myself? Am I caring for others out of a heart that loves the Lord God with every aspect of my being? Certainly, we grow in these areas in our Christian lives; but none of us can honestly answer these questions with a resounding “yes.” Indeed, James adds that “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (2:10). At this point, we might ask along with Jesus’ disciples, “Who then can be saved?” (Matt 19:25).
But once again, the point of James is neither to create legalists who simply “do” to gain acceptance, nor people who determine there is no point to even try. As those who have received the implanted word, whom God has brought forth by His word of truth in order to bear fruit, we have great hope and encouragement for growing up into Christ! We have great encouragement and hope for learning to find joy in the trials and temptations of life, as we recognize our own failings, and see His promise to work in and through us.
Here again, James reminds us of the “law of liberty.” Yes, Christ calls us to fulfill the “royal law,’ but we are to “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty” (Js 2:12). We might remember that the “law of liberty” points us to the fact that Jesus has perfectly fulfilled the royal law on our behalf! Now, He invites us to examine ourselves, to confess our sin, and to seek to show His grace through our lives, because we ourselves have experienced His grace. Though learning to show no partiality may be a lifelong process, the law of liberty invites us to grow into Christlikeness by acting in faith, because we know He is at work in and through us.
Only marveling at the beauty of the riches of kindness and mercy that Jesus offers can strip away the false allure of human treasures. Only as we begin to see the greatness of Jesus’ compassion for us in our failing, can we begin to have eyes to see the needs around us, and hands to care for those our earthly eyes had never valued. Will we do it perfectly? No. But as we “hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (Js 2:1) and seek to show the grace we have received in our own lives to those around us, we can be sure that “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (2:13). The mercy of His law of liberty frees us to rest in His strength, and seek to show His mercy to the poor, to the humble, to those who like us, are in great need of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What will it look like to begin to see those around us with Jesus’ eyes, and to extend mercy to them as He has extended to us? He is at work! Let us seek His wisdom, ask for His eyes of compassion, and act in faith that He will use this for our own growth and joy, and for the growth of His Kingdom!
Questions for Reflection & Prayer:
How does today’s study challenge or encourage you? Why do you think the sin of partiality is so important to consider? How does it creep into our churches and lives? In what ways do you find yourself showing favoritism or partiality? How could recognizing those patterns help you to consider what may be going on in your own heart, or where you need to grow in faith? What does it look like to take these struggles before the LORD? How do you feel encouraged to *act* in faith, if you know you are judged under the “law of liberty”? How do you think learning to see our failure and act in faith is a part of learning joy in trial (cf. Js 1:2)?
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- This hymn dates back to an Irish monk, Dallan Forgaill in the 8th century AD, though adapted in the 1900s for modern use ↩︎
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