For four years now, this being the 5th, I have done a deep dive into a Christmas carol, over a series of posts. And I’m here to keep up the tradition one more time!
The first two were candidates for the greatest Christmas song of all time:
It all began with my disgust at hearing lists of “the greatest” Christmas songs that ignored the great songs based on the birth of the Christ Himself.
Tomorrow we’ll get into another carol – a familiar one, and another one of my favourites. But with origins that are very unusual. It started as a single word – progressed into a hidden code – well, we’ll talk about that when the time comes.
Let’s take the time to apply some of what we’ve learned about justice and partiality. Now, we recognize that justice is applied in different ways in our personal lives, at work, in the family, in the church, in the community, or in government.
But as we look through the Bible, let’s try to pull out some of the most common principles that can apply to all, and especially to our personal lives.
First, what if we experience partiality against ourselves? Someone is against you. Racism, or any kind of partiality. Against you because your a Christian. Whatever the case may be.
Well, maybe we could start by admitting this – yes, I am a bad person. Apart from Christ. I’m a sinner. I’m worse than you think. We start with humility.
(A) I admit my sinfulness. (Psalm 51:3-5; Luke 17:7-10; Romans 2:1)
Now listen – the world will call your good “evil”. Unjust? Yes. But in spite of that, we can admit that we are all sinners in need of a Saviour.
And then we say, I’m not going to “hate you back”. I’m not going to devalue you, because you did it to me. You were created in the image of God. I will be an example.
(B) I aim to conquer evil with good. (Matthew 5:44-46; Romans 12:21; 1 Peter 2:12)
And I aim to live a just and merciful life, and will encourage others to do the same.
(C) I aim to live a life of justice. (Micah 6:8; Matthew 5:15-16; Matthew 23:23)
I am responsible to promote justice and fight against partiality in my family, my church, and my community.
(D) I wait for God to defend me, and bring true and complete justice. (Deuteronomy 32:35-36; Psalm 37; Psalm 73; Romans 12:19)
God will vindicate you. God will defend you. The truth will be known.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. … For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psalm 37:5-6,28
In C and D, we see a contentment that acts. That is, we do not have a contentment, a peace, that is weak and passive. We have complete peace and contentment in God, and at the same time we fight the good fight of the Faith. A contentment armed with the sword of the Lord.
Now, let’s make a list of some of the ways in which God wants us to promote justice. And I encourage you to meditate on some of the extra verses I’m including, because the Spirit has a lot to teach us.
Don’t show partiality. Remember that everyone has value; they were created in the image of God. (Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; 1 Timothy 5:21; James 2:1)
Be honest. Be careful with your words. Don’t gossip. Don’t slander. Look – this can be hard in times of conflict, because we want to find every excuse we can to fight against someone who may truly be evil. But we must always be careful to speak the truth. (Exodus 20:16; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:25)
Remember that we are all responsible for our own actions. We’re neither innocent nor guilty because of our race, culture, or history. We’re not sin-free because we belong to a certain group. We are all personally responsible before God. (Ezekiel 18; Romans 2:1-4)
Be kind, merciful, and generous to the vulnerable. Those who have no family, or no family nearby. The poor. Those without influence and resources. (Exodus 22:21-27; Daniel 4:27; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; James 1:27)
Never accept a bribe. (Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19; Isaiah 33:14-16)
Study God’s Word, and obey with humility. (Psalm 19:7-11; Ezra 7:10; Micah 6:8; 1 John 2:4-6)
Be sure that the God of the Bible is your God, and worship Him only. Once again, this is contentment with a sword. We imitate what we worship, right?
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4
And one more thing. I mentioned Jon Harris earlier. He is someone who has studied these things quite a bit. This is some wise counsel that he has given.
I’ve pointed out already that it’s very easy to give the impression that you’re promoting justice. It’s easy to post something on social media. It’s easy to complain about another group of people. Or say something against someone.
The world wants us to “love” in a very abstract way. There are oppressed people, and some of them are us, and so we join a protest, or we mock someone on social media.
But as believers, we should look around us and love real people directly, personally, and with generosity.
Start with your family, and with your local church. How often do you even smile at your family members? Once in a while, I hope. How often do you help someone else before they ask? How often do you simply surprise someone with your generosity? And look, I’m not just talking dollars here, although that’s important. Be generous with treasure, time and talent. Be sure to love with actions, not just words.
And after your family and church, try being friendly with that neighbour or classmate or coworker that you don’t like. Pray for someone specific. Show mercy and love to real, specific people that you know physically. Hey – give actual money to someone in need.
Live like the Lord Jesus.
A prayer to Yahweh:
My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Isaiah 26:9
Yahweh is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness, and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of Yahweh is Zion’s treasure.
Isaiah 33:5-6
Amen to that.
Additional Resources…
We’ve spent a long time talking about justice and partiality! Here are some additional resources to check out on both topics.
And by the way, I’ll be taking a break from the Biblical Anthropology series until after Christmas. We’re still going to talk about creativity (art) and communication, and also the environment. After that, we’ll try to pull everything together in a review. So we’ll get to that, Lord willing, in 2023.
The beginning of an illustrious career? I don’t know, but on this day ten years ago, Nathanael and Shari were playing a game created by Nathanael himself. I have no idea how to play – maybe he remembers?
We’re continuing our Biblical Anthropology series with the topic of partiality, which is really part 2 of the justice topic.
And now we’re going to a fairly familiar passage in the New Testament, from the book of James. Some challenging words from the half-brother of our Lord.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
James 2:1
Sorry – this isn’t “someone else’s problem”. It’s a problem in our own hearts, and even in the local church. I can’t judge your heart, and you can’t judge mine, but I can ask God to search my heart for the sin of partiality.
For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James 2:2-4
Imagine – that rich and powerful and well-known person from your town or city comes to your church! Wow. Praise the Lord! Just think of the testimony that that person could have. Think about the resources that they could use for the kingdom. Everyone wants to shake their hand. Welcome them. Fine.
Oh, but someone from the street just wandered in. They’re sitting way in the back. Actually, I think they’ve been drinking, and I’m not talking about Coca-Cola. We should be careful. It’s a good thing that they’re not up here sitting with the rest of us.
Now, of course, there are valid questions of security, especially with someone we don’t know, who’s showing signs that they may not be in full control of themselves. But which person has more value? Imago Dei. Which person can God use for His own glory? Both!
That prostitute who has spent many years on the street, addicted to drugs for the past few years, but now redeemed by God – that person will be more incredible, more beautiful, more pure in eternity than the movie star who rejected God. Imagine – every person that you see – if they were redeemed by Christ and glorified – if you could see them as they will be – you would probably be tempted to bow and worship them! And still, we are tempted to show partiality. And it might just be because we want something from that person. Ouch.
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James 2:8-9
The world wants to cause divisions in the church. Let’s not help them.
The world wants us to first think about our nationalities, the colour of our skin, our lifestyle, our political preferences, and the world wants to divide us into little groups. Oppressed, oppressor. Without hope and without forgiveness.
Christ wants to unite us. Here in the church, we need to learn to be honest, to be just. To be the family of God. And this next text that we’ll go to is really the remedy for partiality, something that the world needs to learn.
Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:9-15
We are one body – the Body of Christ. Slaves and owners, Jew and Gentile. Paul doesn’t take the time to explain who are oppressed, and why the oppressor should put more in the offering plate.
Something very interesting in this text is the mention of the Scythians. Who were they? The Scythians were from an ancient nation, we could say a tribe or a race. They lived to the north of Israel, and in Paul’s day they were known as ferocious, cruel warriors.
In fact, we have some evidence that they had been in direct conflict with Israel, even fighting against Jerusalem itself.
So there’s history here. Wicked warriors, oppressors, a history of oppression. And then here we have the Jews – the oppressed. This is the perfect opportunity for Paul to say, “Listen, we’re going to have a special service for the Scythians, and another for the Jews. We’ll keep them separate for now, so that the Jews have time to heal from this history of generational oppression. And because of their privilege, the Scythians will donate extra to the Jewish congregation.”
But that’s not where Paul goes here. Why? Because as Christians, we’re new people. We have been clothed with our new selves, in Christ. And “Christ is all, and in all”. In fact, we must be “forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive”.
And so when Christians get together from different countries or backgrounds, they are one in the Spirit. In one sense, they may have a closer bond with people who do not even speak their language than with the unbeliever who lives next door.
The answer is not social justice. It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ. Real forgiveness, mercy, and love.
So how should we respond to all of this? What should we actually do? Next time we’ll go through a few ideas.
On the 22nd of October, our friend Edgar was on his way to a men’s Bible study. He never arrived.
Edgar (in green) grilling up some cactus at a men’s retreat in 2021.
We found out later that he had apparently lost consciousness and collapsed on the way, and somehow was taken to the hospital.
Edgar never regained consciousness in this world. He passed away just short of 13 days later. He was 42 years old.
Those of you who receive our email update were likely praying for Edgar and his family over those days. We appreciate your continued prayers for his family – his wife’s name is Violeta, and his children are Frida and Pablo.
I want to take a moment to remember Edgar here. He was not only an important part of the Las Palmas church, he was (is) also a good friend and an example to me. Of course, I’m nothing special – he was a good friend to many!
The word “deacon” in the Bible simply means servant. From the time we got to know Edgar a few years ago, we could see that the word applied to him. Without being asked, many times probably without being noticed, he was setting things up, cleaning things, and taking things down. He constantly showed interest in other people, especially in the youth. Both believers and unbelievers knew that he cared about them, and wanted them to seek the Lord in their lives.
Edgar leading the service.
Edgar would often lead the service. The last time he led was on the 25th of September. What he shared at the beginning of the service will always be a reminder to me of his Christian testimony.
Edgar read from God’s Word at least a couple of times during the service. He reminded us at one point that it’s very important to carefully study the Bible, so that when something false comes along, we’ll recognize it.
That week there had been an earthquake in Mexico, which most of us had felt. He started by asking if anyone had been afraid. It was, of course, the topic of conversation that week.
He chose to start the service with this text, from Romans:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:35-39
Yes, I think Edgar would want every believer to be reminded of that today.
Actually, without it being planned, God’s love seemed to be a major theme at our church during those almost two weeks when Edgar was in the hospital. And God did show His love and care for the family in many ways during that time. We’re very thankful for the testimony that his immediate family has had during these difficult days, not only to us as a church, but also to unbelievers around them.
Violeta, Pablo and Frida – after they were baptized in July 2020. (Photo courtesy Rod Fry)
But as Edgar’s family moves into the unknown future, do keep praying for them. We’re all moving into an unknown future, aren’t we? And I think that Edgar would want us to be reminded that nothing can separate God’s people from His love.
And I still remember the smile on his face when he asked, “Was anyone afraid?”
Well, is anyone afraid?
Today, with more confidence than ever, I think that Edgar would say with a smile, “No need.”
It seems like we’ve spent many posts just doing an introduction. But let’s get to just a bit of what the Bible has to say about justice and partiality.
We’ve read this before, but let’s go back to Deuteronomy:
You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 16:18-20
Notice that first part – “judges and officers in all your towns”. Justice would be accessible, and probably fairly quick. And the judgements, of course, must be just – “righteous judgment”. That is, based on God’s law, God’s justice.
Justice here is not trying to make everyone equal. But everyone is equal before the law. “You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality…” It doesn’t matter if the accused is male or female, king or slave, foreigner or national, rich or poor. If you steal, you give it back.
And why mention bribes? What is the problem with bribes? Simply this – bribes mean that the person with power and resources can obtain justice, and the poor person can’t. Or maybe the rich can break the law and escape because of a bribe. Yes, the rich do have a possible advantage here – the bribe. But God says NO – “you shall not accept a bribe”.
“Justice, and only justice, you shall follow…”
You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s…
Deuteronomy 1:17a
You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
Leviticus 19:15
“Oh, but the poor are ‘oppressed’, and so we should give them the advantage.” No. The law should be equally applied to all.
Sometimes it’s more helpful if we use biblical terminology instead of the words and phrases of the world, like “racism” and “discrimination”. Terms like “partiality” and “favouritism” are more biblical terms (in English!).
Why does God only mention rich and poor? They are examples. What’s the main point? The law should apply to everyone equally. No government or expert should decide to change the law for certain people, oppressed or not.
But who is more likely to suffer from injustice? The poor. The vulnerable. Right? And so, the Bible tells us to help the poor. To ensure that they receive justice. And we personally help them as well.
We know that God loves His creation. And we also know that He specifically defends certain people – people we may call “vulnerable”. Let’s take a look at another text:
You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
Exodus 22:21-27
Do not mistreat the poor, the foreigner, the vulnerable. Don’t use them for your own benefit.
Here are a few more principles in the next chapter:
You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Exodus 23:1-3
Always be honest. Speak the truth. Don’t be partial to the poor – but that’s only an example. What does it mean? Don’t be partial to anyone! Just be honest.
If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.
Exodus 23:4-5
It doesn’t matter if you’re not really fond of your neighbour. You’re a part of the community. We help one another.
You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
Exodus 23:6-7
This is an important principle. The law should protect the innocent. We talked about this before, but here it is in black and white. Two or three witnesses – and that means that sometimes the wicked will escape. But we protect the innocent and the righteous. Why? Because God “will not acquit the wicked”. In other words, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12.19) In other words, when the wicked escape, they don’t escape forever. God is just.
God’s Word is so wise – so just!
And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 23:8-9
We’ve already talked about that – let’s continue.
For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.
Exodus 23:10-12
This is great. There are laws in the Old Testament especially designed to protect the poor. Do you remember the law of gleaning? “And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 23:22)
God’s law provides for the vulnerable. We’re not supposed to grasp on to every dollar we can. We leave something for the poor. Generosity. And this is generosity with dignity – the poor still work, but they have work to do.
Exodus 23 is another example of this. Leave your field alone for a year. It’s good for the soil, the environment. The poor can take the “wild” produce. The cattle have something different to eat. It’s good for everyone. God’s Word – so wise!
And of course there’s a day of rest – for your family, for your animals, for the foreigners, employees, slaves, whoever it may be.
Simple principles. Be honest. Don’t accept bribes. Don’t use and abuse people. Be generous. Work hard, and rest.
Yes, people will judge you unjustly. But where is my heart? Where is yours?
Because partiality is not only against the poor, the disabled, or the foreigner. It’s against whomever you don’t like, whomever you decide to use and abuse.
So next time we’ll come a little closer to home, and look at our own hearts. Are we showing favouritism?
