God’s people are to be loving and accepting of all without showing favouritism (v1). You can picture the scene which James describes here of a church making a big fuss over someone in fine clothes while having little time for someone poorly dressed (v2-3). A modern equivalent would be making fuss of a doctor who comes into a church wearing a fine suit while having little time for a tattooed man in a muscle shirt who is living on benefits.

James teaches that such behaviour is not just wrong but evil (v4). We’re not to be judging people by outward appearances on their standing in society.

Such favouritism fails to realise that it is often the lowly that God chooses to work His grace in (v5). Jesus, while on earth was scorned for regularly mixing with the lowly and outcasts of society. As a church we should show love and have plenty of time for all who come in.

Are you guilty of favouritism in your daily life and failing to reach out to some people who you consider as being lowly? Pray about this.

James makes a final point that those we initially might want to impress are the ones who often end up treating us badly (v6-7).