No Sap in This Tree
January 13 (Genesis 25:28)
Oh, how boring the world would be if we all felt the same way about everything. “Variety is the spice of life,” so they say. We can be partial to certain things like food or clothing style. A wise person would be partial to the things that please their spouse. Paul says in Galatians 6, “… let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Yes, there are certain spiritual factors that help us know where to aim our heart.
But when those factors are financially motivated or of a physical nature over which people have no control, we need to be on guard lest those factors influence how we treat others. Rebekah’s favoritism toward her son, Jacob, led to future hostility with his brother, Esau, which continues to this day. And ‘like mother, like son,’ Jacob’s own partiality toward his youngest son, Joseph, led to resentment among the older brothers that nearly cost the boy his life.
In the Word of God you’ll find plenty of maxims, commandments and teachings reminding us of the danger of favoritism and its cousin, partiality. It can be seen in corrupt judicial decisions based on politics or bribery. It can be felt in the child who hears a parent say, “Why can’t you be like your brother?”
Like water flowing downhill, it's all too natural to gravitate toward people with whom we feel comfortable, or who have baggage that looks half-way similar to our own. It takes effort to welcome those who in our eyes don’t have it all together. But that’s exactly what Jesus calls his followers to do in Luke 14. He tells the people not to show partiality when they host a banquet, but rather invite those who normally get overlooked.
Why is it wrong to show partiality or favoritism? It diminishes the glory God has given to all people. It indicates blindness to the good qualities people might have. It infers God has made some people more worthy of attention than others. It puts us in the position of being the judge of a person’s worth. And aside from the damage it does to us personally, it also hurts others and reinforces any sense of low self-esteem they might already have.
The antidote? Open our eyes to see the value of every person. Double-check our motives when we might be tempted to make judgments about others. Seek the same good for others as we seek for ourselves. Remember that in God’s spiritual family tree, there is no “sap.”
“(God) shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” Job 34:19
