When we show favoritism toward others it is evil

4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Showing favor toward others is placing ourselves as a judge over others and it is a position we don’t deserve and a position that scripture doesn’t desire.

First it is a position that we don’t deserve because in the end we are taking our achievements, our education, our appearances, our wealth, our intellect, and taking credit for it as though while we were in the wombs of our mothers we manipulated our DNA at the embryonic stage to give us a greater edge. Any talents, gifts, or abilities we might have are only because God made us this way. Some will push back and say that they worked harder, studied harder, tried harder, and yet still, the very tenacity that is within us to do those things are still attributes that were given to us through God. There is nothing in us innately that sets us apart from the rest of creation that qualifies us to be judges over one another. Therefore, when we step up to the table of humanity it isn’t with arrogance as though we made ourselves this way, but with humility because we are not in a position to judge and when we do it is evil.

Second it is a position that scripture doesn’t desire:

Romans 12:16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”

Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes, but fear the Lord.”

Scripture not only teaches it is evil but throughout world history when we rule as judges over one another it is offensive. In the late 1800’s in Russia the people saw the mistreatment of classes and it led to communism and socialism. Dividing people by labels was offensive so they thought they would put everyone on equal footing socially and financially. The French in the 1700’s saw a use of labels as a means to show mistreatment of the lower class so they simply attacked the wealthy to kill them. There is something in humanity that rejects the labels we put on each other and when we show favoritism toward others it is evil.

Favoritism doesn’t just happen between the poor and the rich, but also between male and female, blue collar and white collar, skinny and fat, funny and studious, short and tall, north and south, blondes and brunettes, and the list goes one and on and it can feel like if our eyes are open that we are going to show favor towards someone else.

Scripture teaches us that Jesus came to remove those labels, those walls, those barriers because they are barriers that cause hostility and create divisions between all of humanity and that is why Jesus entered into humanity. To not only remove the division of labels but a cosmic division between us and God.

Our only hope to avoid showing favor is for our heart and mind to become infatuated with the “glorious Lord Jesus Christ” so that His glory is far more radiant than any glory that could ever fall upon humanity.