When we read the words of James, talking about his older half-brother Jesus, he’s inviting us to consider that we aren’t the best neighbors.

We like some people better than others.

And, James suggests, we do that because we think of what they can do for us. We use people. We gain status from people.

James wants us to imagine a gathering.

Twenty or thirty people are showing up at a large house for a Bible study. The owner of the house is working on the refreshments and asks a friend to greet people at the door. Someone comes up the sidewalk, walking with confidence, dressed well. The greeter thinks, “This looks like someone who belongs here. I don’t want to offend the owner.” The greeter welcomes the person, takes their coat, offers them a chair right by the owner’s. The greeter eventually moves back to the door and sees someone coming up the sidewalk, looking nervous, looking worn, looking not very put together. The greeter thinks, “eeewww.” The greeter opens the door, and silently points to an empty seat in the corner.

The owner walks into the room. Scans the room. Says, “mom!” And walks to the corner, to the nervous woman, and hugs her.

The greeter thinks that the way we dress, the stuff we have, is a sign of relationship with the owner. We sometimes teach that. Wealth is evidence of God’s blessing. Healing is evidence that God loves us. Promotions are evidence of God’s focus on us. When would mean that poverty and illness and demotions are evidence of God’s displeasure with us or abandonment of us. And James says, “Nope.”

James says, “the owner, God, loves everyone. And calls us to love everyone. Not for what they can offer us, but for his sake. Because he loves them. Regardless of what they can give or what they can do or what they can say. Love them because it’s the law of God.”