James Through African EyesSample

From an Africa Study Bible Touch point: God Chooses the Weak

Augustine (AD 354–430), a well-known leader of the early church whose writings are often still read today, was born in what is today Algeria. He wrote:

I find it strange, Lord, that in many of your churches the rich are more highly regarded than the poor and that the noble are better thought of than the less well-born. But you have chosen the powerless in this world to put to shame those who are powerful and you have chosen things the world considers foolish, despised, and as nothing at all to shame those who think they are wise and bring to nothing what the world considers important.

From an Africa Study Bible Touch point: The Poor

Have you ever been denied fair treatment because you are poor? Many in Africa have this experience. Some have dropped out of school because they could not pay their fees. Others have died because they could not afford the cost of simple medication. Many poor people are not given the rights, privileges, dignity, and honor due to them. They often receive harsh mistreatment, injustice, and discrimination. At special functions, those who dress well are given seats among the dignitaries and receive special attention, while those who dress poorly are kept away from the head table. 

We can learn how to treat the poor by seeing the way Jesus and the early church treated them. James 2:1-11 tells Christians to treat poor people in the same way they would treat the rich. What matters is a person’s relationship with God. Jesus spoke of reaching out to the poor as part of his anointing (Luke 4:18-19). Giving special treatment to people on the basis of their social and economic status is against the teachings of Jesus. James tells us not show favoritism. The Kingdom of God does not discriminate. Neither should we. Jesus blessed the poor and promised them the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3).

Reflect or Discuss

According to the scripture and notes above, why is it important not to show favoritism based on wealth?

How have you seen favoritism shown to the wealthy in your church or community? How have you seen the poor discriminated against?

Is there a specific practice that exalts the rich or demeans the poor that should be stopped? What could you do to address this situation?