Moment of Meditation: No Favoritism (1 Timothy 5:21)

I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels,
to keep these instructions without partiality,
and to do nothing out of favoritism.
(1 Timothy 5:21)

No Favoritism

St. Paul takes what St. James has already written to remind Timothy about the dangers of showing favoritism. St. James writes "to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (1:1; 2:1-4):

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby 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?

St. James goes on to remind us that God didn't show favoritism in salvation. He didn't choose the richest people to be Christians. He chose the "poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who loved Him" (2:5).

God has always chosen the underdog. The poorest of the poor. Look at the Christmas story. Jesus is born in a stable. Born to a backwoods carpenter and his wife. Not a king or nobleman. A lowly carpenter is our Savior. No favoritism in God. Only divine goodness and mercy shown to all mankind. Amen.