The Outsiders | Inviting Them In

My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, "Here's an excellent place. Sit here." But to the poor person you say, "Stand over there"; or, "Here, sit at my feet." Wouldn't you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?

You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself. But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker. 

James 2:1-4, 8-9 (Common English Bible)

We all do it. We all make snap judgments about who belongs and who doesn't. We all create mental categories of insiders and outsiders. And we all think we're justified in doing it.

James calls this out directly. He describes a scenario where two people walk into a gathering. One is dressed in fine clothes with a gold ring, the other is in filthy rags. And he points out that we naturally pay attention to the person who looks like they belong while dismissing the person who doesn't.

But James calls this what it is: sinning by showing favoritism. That's strong language. But when we decide who's in and who's out based on external factors, we're not just being rude or unwelcoming. We're actually denying the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Think about what that means. When we show favoritism, when we treat people differently based on their background, their appearance, their past, or their beliefs, we're saying that Jesus' faithfulness isn't enough. We're saying that God's grace needs our approval before it can reach certain people. We're saying that Jesus might welcome everyone, but we know better.

That's what was happening with the insiders in the story of the magi. Herod, the chief priests, and the legal experts knew where to find the Messiah. They had all the right knowledge. They had the right credentials. They were in the right place. But they never made the trip to Bethlehem because they couldn't imagine that God would actually show up for people like them in a place like that.

Meanwhile, Persian astrologers who practiced a different religion traveled for months because they believed God was doing something worth finding. So the outsiders had more faith than the insiders.

And we do the same thing. We assume that because we show up on Sunday, read our Bibles, and know the right theological language, we're the ones God is most interested in working through. We assume that people who don't fit our mold – people whose lives are messy, whose beliefs are different, whose backgrounds are complicated – need to prove themselves before God will really accept them.

But that's not how God works. God doesn't require people to become insiders before inviting them in. God invites outsiders and makes them insiders. And when we refuse to do the same, we're not protecting God's kingdom. We're blocking people from entering it.

So here's the question we need to ask ourselves: Who have we been treating like they don't belong? Who have we dismissed because they don't fit our expectations? Who have we decided needs to prove themselves before we'll welcome them?

Because when we show favoritism, we're not just being exclusive. We're denying the faithfulness of Jesus.

Prayer:

God, forgive us for the ways we've shown favoritism. Forgive us for thinking we get to decide who belongs in your kingdom. Forgive us for requiring people to prove themselves before we'll welcome them. Help us see people the way you see them—not as outsiders who need to earn their place, but as beloved children you're already inviting in. Amen.