Surviving While Scattered: Equality in Christ [James Bible Study]
James 1:9-11
Five strangers sit at separate tables in a cozy little pub on a wet and windy fall evening, while the world crumbles around them. No conversation takes place, no sound escapes except the rain on the roof and a few utensils tapping plates. An Asian police officer snacks on some tater tots and scribbles down some notes for his reports. A Hispanic doctor checks her end-of-the-day emails while drinking a warm cup of tea. A Native American coffee shop owner holds a slice of pizza in one hand and sifts through a stack of resumes with the other. A white waitress scrolls on her phone as a handmade paper sign, folded neatly, sits on the table and reads” I am on my lunch break.” Lastly, a black lawyer slurps away at some clam chowder while reflecting on an important victory his client had in the courtroom that day.
Although these five people all sit within a few feet of each other, society has them miles apart. With multiple ethnicities, genders, and occupations, these five strangers don’t have a lot in common. However, what if we traded the cozy pub for a cozy church building? Would simply changing the location change anything? Well, assuming we are talking about a normal Christian church that holds to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the answer is yes! This does change the situation altogether. The reason for this is that in Christ, we are all equal Galatians 3:26-28. No matter a person's social status, occupation, gender, or ethnicity, we are all one in Christ.
As the world falls apart around us and strife abounds from social injustice to the complete opposition to Jesus Christ and His teachings, we as God’s people can survive by understanding, and rejoicing in the equality that is found in Christ. That brings us to our main text.
James 1:9-11
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
The Bible teaches us here that the rich man and the poor man both have the same end. Most people think that what matters is acquiring as much as you can in a person's lifetime. However, this is false. All of those things people seek to acquire will all one day perish as well. True happiness and wealth cannot come from one’s physical possessions. Yet many people boast about all the nifty things they own. Not only that, but some people brag about their ethnicity or nationality. Contrary to popular belief, this isn’t only applicable to white people. They are not the only ones who have been known to have this mentality. There are people all over this world who feel like they are better than others, based on where they were born, or their ethnicity. These people are foolish!
When we allow the Bible to establish our worldview, we see that the real value any of us have is in Christ. A rich man needs Christ. A poor man needs Christ. Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, We all need Christ. Every person who is well off in life is humbled in Christ. Every person who is not well off in life is lifted up in Christ. Jesus is the balance that this world so desperately needs. Christian if we want to survive in this world until Christ gathers us all together, we have to see all our brothers and sisters as equals.
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