We live in a world that makes us constantly feel like we have to measure up. If we don’t stand out among all the other humans, how will we ever get into the prestigious school or get hired for a role that 200 other people are going after? So we work on our resume, our LinkedIn profile, and our social media accounts in order to capture the attention of the performance police. I get it because we are always being evaluated, ranked, and judged by what we’ve accomplished and produced. Swimming in this kind of environment every day means that it can find its way into our souls. And if you and I have a vision of orienting our entire lives around Jesus, we need to know that His way collides with the way of the world – especially when it comes to how we rank ourselves and each other.

If we are going to orient our lives around Jesus, it means we will value what He values and we will value WHO He values.

I’m calling this message, “The Values of the King”.

James 2:1-13 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong? If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

One of the things I appreciate about living in San Francisco is that you can’t always tell who is rich, at least not initially. There are some cities, which I will not name, where you can tell people’s wealth by how they dress or what they drive. Here, it is quite common to see some of the wealthiest people in the world wearing a hoodie and flip flops. Also, not every rich person in San Francisco even has a car. But there are other things we can know about people that will cause us to start putting them into certain categories. If we ask what they do for work and where they work, this allows us to put them in a certain class of people. If we find out what neighborhood they live in, this allows us to make assumptions about their wealth or lack of it.

Let’s talk a little about the diversity in our church – 70+ nations, multiple generations, and we cover the full breadth of the socioeconomic spectrum. How do we stay faithful to Jesus and each other, when there’s so much diversity present? If we aren’t careful, we will follow the pattern of this world when it comes to how we value other humans. In the world, value is determined by beauty, wealth, intellect, power, age, capacity, and ability.

In God’s kingdom, favoritism is forbidden.

James gives an example. Suppose two individuals walk in here on a Sunday morning and it’s clear that one is rich and the other is poor. If we give special attention to the rich man and we disregard the poor man, we have discriminated and have become judges with evil thoughts. How do we keep this from happening? Some of you are like, “This is not an issue for me. I don’t pay attention to anyone here.” I don’t think that’s what God has in mind. Instead, what if our ethic as a church is to give special attention to everyone here? Here’s what we believe as a church.

We believe God created human beings – male and female, equally bearing His image – distinct from the rest of creation. Therefore, every human life is sacred and worthy of dignity, value, and love regardless of race, ethnicity, ability, background, or circumstance.

I want to say something to each of you as individuals. Regardless of your age, gender, net worth, ethnicity, what neighborhood you live in, what clothes you wear, your past, or anything else – Jesus loves you as much as He loves anyone. Jesus finds you so valuable that He gave up His life for you. And if you are in Christ, you will never find a treasure more valuable than Jesus and what comes with Jesus.

Galatians 3:26-28 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

I also want to guard against something I see happening in our city at times. Sometimes in San Francisco, there’s this anger directed at the wealthy just because of their wealth. While yes, Jesus does often challenge the wealthy, He never treats wealthy individuals as inferior humans.

James goes on to tell the people in the church to stop dishonoring the poor, especially since it’s the rich who are exploiting you, taking you to court and blaspheming the name of Jesus. In other words, don’t show favoritism towards the rich simply because of their status or what they could do for you – especially if they are denouncing the name of Jesus in any way.

Loving our neighbors as ourselves is the counter-practice to favoritism.

Why is it called the royal law? Because it is the law of our King, Jesus. When an expert in the law tested Jesus with this question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”, Jesus responded with the following:

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

EVERYTHING hangs on these two things. And if you are wondering, “Who should I consider to be my neighbor?”, Jesus addressed this question also. In fact, it was this very question that led Jesus to tell a story that has made its way so far beyond just the Christian world. It’s called The Parable of the Good Samaritan. To summarize, there’s a man who gets attacked by robbers. He is stripped, beaten, and left half dead. A priest sees him and passes by on the other side. A Levite saw him and did the same. And then comes a Samaritan, a person belonging to the group that the Jewish people looked down on. The Samaritan saw him, took pity on him, went to him, bandaged his wounds, put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. He even gave money to take care of him. And I want you to hear what Jesus says to this expert in the law after the parable:

Luke 10:36-37 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Back to our passage in James so we can connect the dots. In verse 12-13, James says we are to “speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” Remember what the person said to Jesus when he was asked about who the neighbor was in the story? “The one who had mercy on him.” James is telling us the exact same thing. This is the beauty of the gospel message of Jesus. He has chosen to be a neighbor to us…but not because of what we deserve.

Ephesians 2:3-5 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.

We were deserving of wrath. But because of His great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ. What exactly is mercy? According to the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible:

Mercy – One of the most essential qualities of God. Specifically it designates that quality in God by which He faithfully keeps His promises and maintains His covenant relationship with His chosen people despite their unworthiness and unfaithfulness.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

This does not mean that God will be merciful to us if we’re merciful to others. The point is this – if God has been merciful to us, how could we possibly withhold mercy from each other? James says this law gives freedom. Jesus came to free us from sin.

If we have been set free, let’s make it our mission to set others free.

In the world, we hold grudges. In Christ, we offer forgiveness.

In the world, we get canceled for what we did wrong. In Christ, He cancels our sin when we do wrong.

In the world, we choose judgment. In Christ, we choose mercy.

Have you experienced the mercy of Jesus?

Who’s a “neighbor” you can show mercy to this week? How can you be merciful?

Have you recognized anywhere in your life where you’ve shown favoritism?

Is there any person or group who has made you feel inferior or less than? If so, I want to tell you two things – I am sorry for what they’ve said and done. AND they were wrong about your value. If the God who made you has all authority in heaven and on earth, then whatever He calls you, you are. Fully approved and your leading identity is son/daughter of God. Receive this and go free others into their God-given reality as well.