“I can’t have this,” she said. “It interferes with my right
to happiness.” So she and her husband took the old man gently but firmly by the
arm and led him to the corner of the kitchen. There they set him on a stool and
gave him his food in a clay bowl. From then on he always ate in the corner,
blinking at the table with wistful eyes.These people had a seven-year-old son of whom they were very fond. One evening the young man noticed his boy playing intently with some clay and asked what he was doing. “I’m making a bowl,” he said, smiling up for approval, “to feed you and Mamma out of when I get big.”
This is one of Grimm’s fairy tales. It brings out the evil
of overlooking the fact the fact that every human being, irrespective of age,
health or wealth, needs to be treated with dignity and respect. Today’s second
reading from the Letter of Saint James, condemns treating people differently
based on their social status or wealth.
Christians are warned not to allow yourself to be unduly
influenced by a person's position, status or prestige or power or wealth or the
lack of these things. Favouritism can take either one of two forms: looking up
to the rich and powerful or looking down on the weak and vulnerable. In Grimm’s
tale it is the case of looking down on the weak and vulnerable little old man.
When we were celebrating the opening of our Padre Pio
Church, some people were in favour of reserving seats for so-called ‘dignitaries’
who were coming to the celebration. I opposed this opinion based on Christian
equality. When David Bradbury, our Federal Member of Parliament came up and
introduced himself he asked, “Where do you want me to seat?” I suppose he
expected a reserved seat at the front of the church as he would be used to at
most special occasions where he is the guest of honour. I told him, “You can
sit where ever you can find a spot” as I pointed to the rapidly filling church.
Let us hear what James, the apostle of practical
Christianity, tells us about the favouritism. “My brothers and sisters, do you
with your acts of favouritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus
Christ?” (James 2:1). James begins with a rhetorical question in which he makes
the point that favouritism is inconsistent with the Christian faith. One cannot
claim to be a believer in our Lord, Jesus Christ and still be a respecter of
persons. Why is that? It is because Jesus was not a respecter of persons. Even
his enemies, the Pharisees, gave Him credit for that when they said to Him,
“Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance
with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with
partiality” (Matthew 22:16). Faith tells us that every human being on earth bears the image and likeness of God. This comes before the obvious differences of social class, culture, gender or lifestyle. Basically, all human beings are equal and should be treated as such. God’s children must shun all favouritism, “for God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11).
St. James then goes on to give us a concrete example of favouritism in the Christian assembly.
For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes
into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and
if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a
seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand
there," or, "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions
among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2:2-4).
What is wrong with the ushers in this church? Are they wrong
in finding a seat for the wealthy man? No. What then is their problem? Their
problem is that they did not equally find a seat for the dirty, poor man but
asked him to stand or sit on the floor. James is not asking us to give persons
of distinction in the Christian assembly the cold shoulder in the name of
equality. In discussing what should be the attitude of believers to secular
authority, Paul encourages us to pay “respect to whom respect is due, and
honour to whom honour is due” (Romans 13:7). The fault of the worshipping
assembly in James’ example is that they treated the poor man with snobbery. We
should respect the rich, but then, so also should we respect the poor. This is
summarised for us 1 Peter 2:17, “Have respect for everyone and love for your
fellow-believers; fear God and honour the emperor.”The passage ends with a difficult verse. “Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5). This verse is saying that God prefers the poor and, consequently, so should the church. It is a difficult verse because some people may conclude from this that James is advocating reverse favouritism or looking down on the rich. But this is not what James is teaching. James is teaching that our obligation to pay honour and respect to all should start with our brothers and sisters in the faith. In his days, it was the poor people who embraced the faith. Therefore, he argues, the church should have a preferential option for the poor. The poor who is “rich in faith” is entitled to our care and concern before the rich who is without faith.
Our prayer today is that God may open our eyes of faith to
see Him and serve Him in all people, especially in the poor, the weak and the
vulnerable.
