Seeing People the Way Jesus Does
Scripture: James 2:1–9
James directly addresses favoritism and explains where it starts.
The wealthy received the best seats.
The poor were overlooked.
James teaches that this should not happen among believers, since faith changes the way we treat others.
Jesus Never Measured Worth by Wealth
The world asks:
“What do they own?”
Jesus asked:
“What does their soul need?”
He looked past appearance, education, race, social status, and reputation.
Beyond education.
Beyond race.
Beyond social standing.
Beyond reputation.
He saw people made in God’s image.
Every Person Bears God’s Image
Genesis 1:27 says that every person is made in God’s image.
That changes everything.
Every conversation.
Every disagreement.
Every encounter.
Even people who are hard to get along with still carry God’s image, so we should treat them with care.
That doesn’t excuse sin.
But it does mean we must treat everyone with dignity.
Illustration
Many people have bought antiques at yard sales for a few dollars, only to discover later that they were worth thousands.
The value was there all along.
The owner simply didn’t recognize it.
People are like that too. The world may overlook them, but Jesus sees their eternal value.
The world overlooks them.
Jesus sees eternal value.
As followers, we learn to see people the way Jesus does, noticing what others might miss.
Jesus stopped for the overlooked: Blind Bartimaeus.
The woman with the issue of blood.
Zacchaeus.
The Samaritan woman.
Children.
Widows.
Lepers.
Jesus often stopped what He was doing for people others ignored, and His love showed in those moments.
Love. Sometimes, love is found in the moments when we let ourselves be interrupted for others.We Must Resist Favoritism
Sometimes churches honor success without meaning to, and overlook faithfulness. That’s why we need to resist favoritism. The wealthy donor.
The popular family.
The gifted speaker.
Meanwhile…
The widow sits alone.
The new believer eats lunch alone.
The visitor leaves unnoticed.
This should not describe Christ’s church, because everyone deserves to be seen and valued.
Reflection
Whom have you overlooked because they seemed insignificant?
Ask God to help you see the people He sees, and to respond to them.
Coming Next:
Part 3 — Loving Without Expecting Anything in Return
Thoughts from Pastor Toney 