Gandhi, considered to be India's spiritual leader, once considered converting to Christianity. One Sunday morning he went to a Protestant church to talk to the pastor about what it meant to become a Christian. As he entered the church, an usher refused to seat him and sent him away.
“If Christians have a caste system,” he said, “I might as well remain a Hindu.”
In the letter that James wrote to the Jewish Christians who lived in the Gentile community that was outside of Palestine, he strongly condemned prejudice. Graciously, but sternly, he said to them, “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus if you favor some people over others?”
Unfortunately, it is easier to accept a well-dressed, impressive looking person into our homes and congregations than one who looks needy and unkempt. We would rather identify with people who look like they have “made it in life” than those who are “apparent failures.” This type of attitude is sinful. God sees all people as equal because His Son leveled the playing field when He died on the cross for “whosoever.” Whosoever is all-inclusive.
Prayer: Prevent us, Father, from having hearts that are hard, minds that are set and attitudes that favor some more than others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture for Today: James 2:1-13 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
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