James 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?
James continues to exhort the church to take care of the poor and accept them lovingly and unconditionally into the church. The poor are dishonored by how the church does not accept them or honor them. Jesus gave the place of honor to the poor and neglected. They became children of the King and felt His love. Why do Jesus’ followers give a different response to the poor? Often, there is an unstated mistrust of the poor by some people in the church. Sadly, this is even stated out loud. James is addressing a common experience in this verse. Those with money are often the problem because of their greed. They treat others with disdain and even take them to court to get more for themselves. Some wealthy people have gotten their money by walking on the backs of the poor. I highly respect those (few) wealthy people who have gotten their wealth through hard work and providing jobs and resources to poor people. But these special people seem rare in today’s world. As followers of Jesus, we must think deeply and seriously about whether or not we are indeed following in the footsteps of Jesus. Are we truly acting as His hands and feet in this world? Or have set up conditions to our love, acceptance, and service?
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