the ultimate putdown…

we judge people by their wealth – whether they are rich or poor – their economic status.

what attitude do you have toward people who make more money than you do?  what attitude do you have toward people who make less money than you do?

now this is the area that james picks out of all the areas we discriminate in.  he talks about economic distinction. 

james 2.2 (niv), suppose a man comes to your meeting wearing gold rings and fine clothes and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.  if you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “here’s a good seat for you” but say to the poor man, “you stand over there” or “sit on the floor at my feet”, have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  one guy called this the case of the near-sighted usher.

two guys are strangers.  they arrive at church at the same time.  we know they are strangers because they didn’t know where to sit.  the first guy walks in and he’s dripping with wealth.  everybody knows they don’t fit because in nt times all of the CHRISTians were poor.  most of them were slaves.

but it says, he has gold rings – literally in greek, “he is gold fingered.”  now in nt times you could rent rings to prove how wealthy you were.  they would cut jewels and sew them into their clothes.  real gaudy.  but james didn’t criticize the guy for being wealthy; he criticized the members for being partial to him.  it doesn’t say there is anything wrong with having wealth.

it also says, he has “fine clothes”.  in greek, it literally meant the roman toga the politicians would wear when they were running for election.  this is rich goldfinger.

then comes the guy who is poverty stricken.  this is bum poorboy.  he is destitute and shabby.  he has holes in his levis and doesn’t have any shoes on.  he doesn’t have any deodorant so he has b.o. and his hair is unkempt.  he looks bad and the usher has to make a decision.  where will he seat him?

now the usher takes the rich guy to the front row and seats him.  “take this nice place.  we want everybody to know you’re here.  we want to take care of everyone of your needs.”  then he says to the bum, “you can stand over there in a corner or you can sit on the floor.”  literally, in the greek, it's “under my footstool.”  it’s the ultimate putdown.  he treats him carelessly.

just a thought from the front porch…