James 2 - Worldly FavouritismSýnishorn

The royal law of love

Showing favouritism breaks the fundamental command of God’s word: the command to love. The specific law quoted in verse 8 comes from Leviticus 19:18: “love your neighbour as yourself.” But why does James describe the command as the ‘royal’ law? Jesus was the descendent of King David and the glorious Messiah in God’s kingdom. And, as you know, this royal Messiah elevated this Old Testament command to the highest importance. When asked about the greatest commandment in the Law Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart … The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself,” (Mark 12:28-31). 

If we show favouritism, we are rejecting the command which King Jesus brought into the centre of Christian living. If I am kinder to the wealthy than I am to the poor, this is proof that I do not love the poor as deeply as I love myself.

Breaking all the commandments in one

Why does James then introduce adultery and murder into the discussion? What have these sins got to do with favouritism? James appears to be underlining the fact that breaking God’s law (of love) makes us ‘law-breakers’. He does this by illustrating the principle from two of the most dramatic commandments in the Scriptures: the sixth and seventh commandments of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:13-14). If someone faithfully keeps the law about adultery, says James, and yet breaks the one about murder, such a person is hardly a keeper of the law; he is a ‘law-breaker.’ 

Everyone in James’ audience would agree with that line of reasoning. How much more, then, runs James’ underlying logic; does this same principle apply to the royal law of love? Break this law and all other law-keeping counts for nothing. Not to love—which is what favouritism amounts to—is to turn your back on the entire will of God.

The test of love

The central place given to the law of love is striking. The test of Christian health is how we treat our neighbours. “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’” (Gal 5:14). The impact of Jesus’ emphasis on Leviticus 19:18 was felt everywhere in early Christianity. 

From time to time in the history of the church other tests of Christian health have been proposed: regular church attendance, accurate theology, an experience of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, daily prayer and Bible reading, involvement in evangelism and so on. All of these things have their place but when any one of them becomes a sign of who the true believers are, warning bells should sound. The witness of James and of the wider New Testament suggests that there is only one test of true faith for the followers of the Messiah: obedience to his royal command, “love your neighbour as yourself.”