人人平等
雅各書二章1至10節
1我的弟兄們，你們信奉我們榮耀的主耶穌基督，便不可按著外貌待人。
2若有一個人帶著金戒指，穿著華美衣服，進你們的會堂去；又有一個窮人穿著骯髒衣服也進去；
3你們就重看那穿華美衣服的人，說「請坐在這好位上」；又對那窮人說：「你站在那裡」，或「坐在我腳凳下邊。」
4這豈不是你們偏心待人，用惡意斷定人麼？
5我親愛的弟兄們，請聽，神豈不是揀選了世上的貧窮人，叫他們在信上富足，並承受他所應許給那些愛他之人的國麼？
6你們反倒羞辱貧窮人。那富足人豈不是欺壓你們、拉你們到公堂去麼？
7他們不是褻瀆你們所敬奉（所敬奉：或作被稱）的尊名麼？
8經上記著說：「要愛人如己。」你們若全守這至尊的律法，才是好的。
9但你們若按外貌待人，便是犯罪，被律法定為犯法的。
10因為凡遵守全律法的，只在一條上跌倒，他就是犯了眾條。
信息分享
在初期的基督教教會，有許多會友都是作奴僕和窮人，但另一方面亦有不少有錢人。雅各在這裡教導說，無論窮人或富人，在神眼中都是一律平等，在教會裡面亦應該受到平等的對待。
神是看人的內心和本相，因此，在神眼中，所有人都是罪人，都需要一位救主。昔日神吩咐撒母耳到伯利恆的耶西的家，膏立大衛為王時，便曾經說過：「人是看人的外貌，但神是看人的內心。」
因此，我們便要學習以一視同仁的態度去對待每一個人。我們去愛那些愛我們的人，當然是毫無困難。難的是要愛那些不可愛，或與自己性格不合的人。
雅各叫我們留意那條「至尊律法」，究竟是甚麼律法呢？就是要愛人如己。我們可以選擇自己喜歡的人，做自己的朋友；可是，出現在我們身邊的人，卻非我們可以選擇，而是出於神的安排。神要我們在日常生活中接觸各式各樣的人，為的是要我們向他們作見證，引領他們認識祂。
要一視同仁地對待任何人，絕不是易事，然而，這既是神的心意，神必定賜下祂的恩典，讓我們有足夠的力量去遵循祂的教導而行。首先，我們必須讓所有參與教會聚會的人，都感到自己被接納，而沒有被排斥的感覺。
雅各的話再次提醒我們，要檢視自己對別人的態度──無論他是和藹可親，或是難以相處；無論他是衣著得體，或是衣衫襤褸；無論他是儀容整潔，又或是不修篇幅──我們是否都一律以愛相待呢？我們是否像神看人那樣去看人呢？即看見每個人都需要救主的拯救，都需要我們引領他到救主面前？
經文反思：
神不偏待人。
EVERYONE ON THE SAME LEVEL
James 2:1-10
1 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.
2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,
3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place, ” and say to the poor man, “You stand there, ” or, “Sit here at my footstool, ”
4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man.Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?
7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, ” you do well;
9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
Message
In the early years of the Christian church, many of the members were slaves or were very poor. On the other hand there were some who were very rich. James said no matter who people may be or how much money they may have, they are all the same in the sight of God. Every one must be treated in the same way.
God sees men and women as they really are - all sinners needing a Saviour. God said to Samuel, when he went to anoint David in the house of Jesse in Bethlehem, 'Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart'.
We need to see men and women in the same way. It is easy for us to be nice to those who are nice to us. We don't find it difficult to love those who are lovely. But it is very different when we are face to face with those who are unlovely.
What does James say to us from what he calls the 'royal law'? 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself. Our friends are those whom we choose for ourselves. Our neighbours are those whom God has chosen for us. He puts us along-side various kinds of people during our lifetime. His plan is for us to be witnesses to them, no matter who they might be.
It is not easy to do this, but if that is what God wants, then certainly he will give us the grace to do it. Our church gatherings also ought to be places where everyone feels genuinely welcome in the name of Christ.
Perhaps the word from James to us today is to look again at how we treat people, the lovely and the unlovely, the well dressed and the poorly dressed, the clean and the dirty. Do we see them all as God sees them - men and women who all need Christ? Do we seek to lead them to him?
A VERSE FOR TODAY:
God is no respecter of persons.