Lookahead:   I’ve also been victimized by family-based favoritism/nepotism; I watched my good rep slowly erode away in a summer internship when I was chosen to “partner” on a project with another intern, who happened to be the company owner’s son. At the time, I think I chalked up his attempted bullying to the fact that I wasn’t Ivy League like him.  Actually, it probably was due to the fact that he just didn’t have the desire/disposition to teach/share the wealth.  But he made me acutely aware that I didn’t have the advantage of clarifying my actions at the family dinner table every night.  Fortunately I had no plans to work for that company when I graduated. 🙂 

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.James 2:1-8

Bottom line, favoritism is no fun…particularly if one is not the favorite.  

I’m sure we’ve all seen the downside of team favorites in the workplace.  Possibly we’ve had bosses who rewarded “apple polishers” on the team to the detriment of other team members.  I’ve seen people make a full-time career out of cultivating the boss–and then I’ve watched those people get promoted into positions of greater authority.  Talk about a dysfunctional environment!  However, on one occasion, I remember being the only one on the team who congratulated our previous peer after the promotion announcement–because I realized how much additional work the “sycophant” was putting in.  Ingratiating the boss takes a lot of extra time and effort when one is also responsible for work-work — plus it can be a very lonely undertaking.  Definitely not worth it, in my view.  But as James says, I believe that the key lies in not rewarding this behavior in the first place.   

I’ve also been victimized by family-based favoritism/nepotism; I watched my good rep slowly erode away in a summer internship when I was chosen to “partner” on a project with another intern, who happened to be the company owner’s son. At the time, I think I chalked up his attempted bullying to the fact that I wasn’t Ivy League like him.  Actually, it probably was due to the fact that he just didn’t have the desire/disposition to teach/share the wealth.  But he made me acutely aware that I didn’t have the advantage of clarifying my actions at the family dinner table every night.  Fortunately I had no plans to work for that company when I graduated. 🙂 

Of course, it goes without saying that this favoritism/nepotism happens in the church as well.  The sad thing is that, by its unethical nature, favoritism automatically connotes that the chosen one doesn’t deserve the special favor–even though they might genuinely be suited for the ministry; and this ultimately makes people skeptical about whether God is at the helm or not at that given church.  

I’ve been a member of churches in which local, national, even international Christian celebrities were members–and seen a full spectrum of pastoral responses from surrendering the platform to jocularly nudging the celebrity/family about getting more plugged in–in front of the entire live/virtual congregation.  One pastor even made fun of a visiting Christian celebrity’s behavior back in the day when he was an unruly teen–i.e., still asserting pastoral authority. In one case, another pastor actually asked the church members to refrain from political discussions with a member who was a local politician.  On the other hand, the politician had emerged from obscurity when the pastor called him up on the stage for prayer prior to the election. 🙂  I have also seen members, who had musical talent and stage presence, given leadership roles in ministries they weren’t called to.  In one smaller church, things went full cycle and this show of favoritism contributed to its eventual demise.  

And nepotism in the church is no fun either.  I’ve seen TV Celebrities and Ministers showing obvious favoritism as they spend years grooming their children to take over the ministry…on the air with the world watching.  There are a couple of people who immediately come to mind when I think of round pegs in square holes.  And sometimes the person turned out to be the right choice, however, let’s just say we all struggled as they stepped into their destiny…

And then there’s the case in which it seemed like a TV pastor was taking early retirement to focus on church planting–because they believed they had received a sure Word from God. The Word was…that the time had arrived to surrender the leadership reins…that the pastor wouldn’t be the one to take their church to the Promised Land. But it was hard not to be skeptical when, out of all the people in the megachurch, (surprise, surprise!) the pastor’s young son and daughter-in-law were picked as the Joshua’s.  Taking nepotistic things to absolute extremes, there’s the case of a pastor whose global church was severely rocked by allegations that he covered up his predecessor’s sins of child abuse–the predecessor was his father. 😦  And then there’s the Pastor’s Kids (PK’s) Syndrome–in which they sometimes seem to be given free passes.  In recent years, we’ve learned of PK’s secretly committing criminal acts or falsely accusing their parents of committing same, while they continued to “talk the talk” at church.

Of course, there’s another perspective on all of this.  Being a PK is no bed of roses–as unwelcome nepotism can also do real damage to the favored ones.  

“…I’ve noticed that Pastor’s kids can find themselves caught up in a rhythm of ‘doing church’ and ‘being the pastor’s child’. It is easy to get fixed in a mind-set of trying to be a good person and doing godly things… This duty can come out of the feeling that as a Christian we have the obligation to serve the church in order to be accepted into it…(Also, PK’s) may see the church as a machine that sucks all the energy out of their parents…This is why people who feel bound to a duty or responsibility yearn for freedom. They literally wait for the moment we can leave behind the obligations they are bound too…Pastor’s kids long for a freedom that allows them to identify themselves as Christians regardless of what their parents do for a living. This longing for freedom is placed in us for a reason. I believe that both Christians and Pastor’s kids need to find the freedom that God offers us.”¹ 

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. James 2:1

Per Bible Hub, favoritism = προσωποληψία (L T Tr WH προσωπολημψία (see Mu)), προσωποληψιας, ἡ (a Hellenistic formation; (see προσωπολήπτης)), respect of persons (Vulg.personarum acceptio), partiality, the fault of one who when called on to requite or to give judgment has respect to the outward circumstances of men and not to their intrinsic merits, and so prefers, as the more worthy, one who is rich, high-born, or powerful, to another who is destitute of such gifts: Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; plural (which relates to the various occasions and instances in which this fault shows itself (cf. Winers Grammar, 176 (166); Buttmann, § 123, 2, 2)), James 2:1. (Ecclesiastical writings.)

As indicated, the Greek word for favoritism is προσωποληψία and, rather than favoritism, has more of a connotation of favorably judging the outer man, instead of looking on the heart…OBTW IAW 1 Samuel 16:7

 But the Lord said unto Samuel (regarding David’s unsuitable brothers), Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

The Aramaic translation of James 2:1 was eye-opening and reinforced the aspect of false impressions due to favorable outward appearances: 

My brothers, do not be accepting/taking of (superficial) faces/hypocrites–take the faith of the Glory of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. 

Basically, don’t go by the face — go by the faith!  Don’t accept skin-deep beauty on face-value alone. Accept God’s definition of beauty–faith in Jesus’ Glorious Perfection.  Someone who shows favoritism is, best case, spiritually immature, and probably needs to get with God.  

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. 

Someone who is trying to form up a “beautiful people clique” is sinning, and may need to do a spiritual rewind…and repent/surrender to God first…and then get with God…as often as possible. 

In this same verse, James has totally solved the whole favoritism/nepotism problem with a Levitical Law…you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18

And Jesus irrevocably and unforgettably taught us who our neighbor was.  To the chagrin of many gens, Jesus taught that the blanket term, neighbor, includes members of hated, oppressive ethnic groups. 

(Jesus asked) “What is written in the Law?”…“How do you read it?”  He (the legalistic lawyer) answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”  But he (the legalistic lawyer) wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:26-29

The lawyer was trying to justify himself to others, as a person who was worthy of eternal life, because he knew the Law.  Jesus exposed him as someone who, although he knew what was lawful, was breaking the Law in his heart.  The surgically discerning words of the Law–clarified by the Lawgiver–cut through to his very heart, dividing soul and spirit asunder–and hopefully convicted him to the core.    

“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.”  Luke 10:36,37.

It’s simple…if we are filled with, and energized by, and propelled forward by Jesus’ agapē, we will recognize His agapē in others–and promote accordingly. 

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¹https://christiantoday.com.au/news/katy-perry-and-the-pastors-daughter-gone-wild-insight.html