Verse of the day: Leviticus 19:15, “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.”
One of the most infuriating things we can witness, or be on the receiving end of, is injustice done on the basis of social status. I am sure that many of us have seen this happen on both sides of the spectrum, where the rich have gotten away with being cruel, dishonest, and committing crimes, just because they are rich and can bribe someone. Proverbs 18:5 tells us, “It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.” There are others who treat the wealthy as if they are more important, simply because they have earthly riches that they (the people showing partiality) hope to benefit from. By the same token, there have been those who are poor who have used their poverty to get sympathy in order to escape punishment for wrong done. In Exodus 23:3, God clearly told Israel that they were not to show partiality to the poor in their dispute, when it comes to judging wrongdoing. The poor sometimes blame society for their poverty; therefore, they proclaim that it is society’s fault that they turned to a life of crime. They use their poverty as a “pass” to feel justified about their attitude of entitlement, and promote a philosophy, now, that if you are wealthy, it must mean that you are one of those corrupt “rich” people who oppress the poor. Well, not everyone who is wealthy is corrupt, and not everyone who is poor is lazy and promoting an attitude of entitlement. God makes it clear in His Word, that when it comes to justice, He is not a Respecter of persons. Galatians 3:28 tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Proverbs 22:2 reads, “The rich and the poor have this in common, the LORD is the maker of them all.” We are all God’s creatures. He created us all in His image, and although He has chosen for some to have more than others, we will all stand before Him to give an account for our lives here on earth, some to life eternal and others to eternal condemnation (John 5:28-29); yet, that will not be determined by how much wealth we have or how poor we are. I have not only seen, but I have experienced how society, and even Christians, treat those they perceive to be poor or the less desirable of society, in contrast to those they believe have wealth and status in society. Sadly, I have even seen this in church. James 2:1-6 tells us that we are not to favor the wealthy when they enter our church buildings. God’s salvation is available to both the rich and the poor. When we show partiality, we sin (James 2:9). I still remember the first time I visited the local church I came to know Christ in. I had just finished working, and had gone straight to church, after being invited. Because I was working as an undercover police officer, I showed up wearing a shirt with a big marijuana leaf on the front, and a ball cap, backwards, which also had a marijuana leaf on it, as well as gold chains and rings. There were two women standing at the front door who nearly fell over the rail when they saw me coming, and the expression on their face was priceless. I later learned, after I got to know them, that one was a missionary and the other a missionary-in-training, who was attending the Bible College I would later enroll at. The reason this moment stands out in my mind is that they judged who I was based on who I appeared to be, and neither one took the time to greet me, as I had seen them greet others who did not look like some poor, drug dealing, delinquent. Little did they know that I would come to know Christ on my second visit, and serve Him in that same local church. They judged me based on who they perceived me to be, and they failed to see that I was just another lost sinner, who needed Jesus. When we show partiality toward anyone, based on whatever bias we have, we put ourselves in a position to miss out on an opportunity to share Christ, and lead someone to Jesus. God is the God of the rich, the poor, the tall, the short, the black, the white, the brown, and anyone else who is in need of eternal life. Jesus does not love based on status, culture, background, or what kind of life one has lived. “God so loved the WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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