Jesus' Example of Not Being a Respecter of Persons

One of the most beautiful names that Christ was given was Immanuel, which means God with us. And certainly, here was God taking human form, walking with human beings throughout his life, and the way he interacted with people. It does get my attention. I hope it will get your attention as well. He showed that example in a society full of prejudices. He was so far ahead of his time. He was not a respecter of persons, and he showed compassion.

I recently finished a biography by Paul Johnson, my favorite historian, who actually was interviewed one time by the Plain Truth magazine, and he's written about 55 different biographies. He wrote a biography about Jesus Christ. This is what he says in the book. Insofar as we have improved in the way we look after the poor, the sick, the infirm, the powerless, in our treatment of children, in moral education and training, in penology, which has to do with the study of penalties, and redressing of grievances, in the effort to spread material welfare and to encourage people to show kindness to one another and help their neighbors in difficult times, these improvements have come about because we have had the sensibility, the intelligence, and the pertinacity to follow where Jesus led. If goodness has a place in our 21st century world, it is because Jesus, by his words and actions, showed us how to put it there. No other man in history has had this effect over so long a time, over the whole of the earth's surface, and over such a range of issues. Yes, even historians analyzing all of the great men, and it's Jesus who stands out as making this world, improving it in such a way.

There's a comment made by the Emperor Napoleon, once he was relegated there to the island where he was banished, and he spoke with one of his generals that visited him, and they talked about Christianity and Jesus. And this is what Napoleon commented to one of his generals, Henry Bertrand. He said, I know men, I tell you, that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world, there is no possible term of comparison.

Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius upon force? Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love, and at this hour, millions of men would die for him.

So he gave us an example for us to learn how to live, how to think, how to act, and how to deal with things. Starting with ourselves, in the home, in the family, with friends, and in the community.

And I'd like to show you a few examples.

We certainly don't see him hobnobbing with the rich and powerful. We don't see him going into all the wealthy areas to heal the sick so that he could get some benefit from it. He had limitless power. He could heal people all the time if he wanted to. He certainly, if he wanted something for himself, could have gone to those who could have rewarded him. But he didn't do that.

No, he focused on those with needs, the poor, the neglected, the infirm. He was reluctant to use that unlimited power, except when he had to. And when he did, it was usually someone coming to him and treating him, begging him, asking him.

He wasn't this healing magician that had a big circus for everybody to be impressed with him. No, he did it very quietly, very patiently, many times telling him, don't say how you got healed.

And he had compassion, especially toward those that were old and infirm.

And yet, he had enough power at any time that he could have licked any problem. Notice what it says in Matthew 26, verse 51. Matthew 26, before he was arrested by those temple soldiers that were sent by the high priest.

Notice in Matthew 26, verse 51. And consider what power he had available at any time during his life.

Matthew 26, verse 51.

It says, And suddenly one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Certainly he was trying to do something more than just cut his ear. He missed the head.

We know from other of the Gospels this was Peter. Verse 52.

He had access to that. He had a whole army of angels. He could have conquered the whole world. He could have defeated the Romans. And in one day, each legion of angels has approximately 6,000 soldiers. And so here you talk about 72,000 angels. What could you do with the power of 72,000 angels? Just give me 10 angels. You could lick whoever you want because angels can't be killed by human beings, by bombs, by swords. So he had the right to just ask the father and he could have avoided the arrest. He could have avoided being taken by these guards. But then he said in verse 54, How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen thus? So he voluntarily gave himself up. He restrained using his miraculous power because he loved all of us so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself. So he was truly Immanuel, God with us, God walking with us. Most of the miracles that Jesus did were not in the big cities, not in Jerusalem, not in any of these areas. The great majority were around the 100 towns that surrounded the lake there of Galilee, that region of Galilee, where that was a backwater area. You would have called that the Styx, the area of rural America. Well, that was rural Israel at that time. Judea is where all the center of power and riches and the most cultivated people lived.

So let's look at some of those people that Jesus healed. Let's go to Luke chapter 13. Luke chapter 13 in verse 10. Now, Jesus wasn't looking to heal anybody at this moment. He was going to Sabbath services. In Luke chapter 13 verse 10, it says, now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. So he got up. He was teaching. He was keeping the Sabbath, having a holy convocation. But then he noticed something in the congregation. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity 18 years and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. Have you ever seen people that are just so bent over? They can't even look at you straight because their spinal cord is so bent. Their back is so bent that they just are bowed over. Well, this lady had been that way for 18 long years.

And what did Jesus do? He focused on her. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him. See? He was going to use his unlimited power for what? For a little old lady that people didn't really pay much attention to. She was probably just sort of allowed to come. People pitied her. But there she was at Sabbath services, even with all the pain that involved.

And he said to her, Woman, you are loose from your infirmity. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God. I mean, that's like somebody that's been stricken in a wheelchair. That person had no possibility of getting well. And all of a sudden, the person gets up, stretches up, and she is healed. I mean, she had been going to services for 18 years, from what we know.

And here, everybody looked at how she was instantly healed. You'd think they would have said, Praise God! Oh, what a wonderful blessing on the Sabbath! Now she can be whole. Now she can be a normal person. She's not struggling and suffering with her pain. Anybody who's had bad back pain knows what it's like. Because when she went to bed, she went to bed crooked. And when she woke up in the morning, she was crooked! How humiliating! How painful! And so Jesus didn't wait. His compassion was such, God in the flesh, that He just said, I'm going to do that for this woman. Now He knew the consequences. He knew people would criticize Him. And immediately, that's what it says here.

Verse 14, But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and He said to the crowd, There are six days on which men ought to work, therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day. I wonder where it says that in Scripture. Because it doesn't. That was something they had added to Scripture. Because they considered healing as something that was going to be fixed and physically exhausting. It was going to be work. It was going to be labor. No, it didn't take any work. It took just a few seconds. And yet, instead of glorifying God, there they were, with their human commandments, their legal additions to God's law.

And so, Christ had a different attitude with this man. He saw the hardness. He saw the hypocrisy. And so, Jesus could be very gentle and loving, especially to those that were powerless, that were in need, that were hurting. But to this, oh, He was in charge. Here was the rabbi who was in charge of the synagogue, and Jesus went right to that hypocrisy. The man should have been an example of conversion, who would have glorified God immediately, because he saw the Spirit of God had acted. But no, this petty little man, he was about, oh, I don't want anybody to show me up. People are going to start looking at him instead of me. And so, in verse 15, the Lord then answered him and said, hypocrite! Yeah, you false religious actor! You're acting from the outside, but you just showed me what was in the inside. In the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, it says we should glorify God and His works of mercy.

Does not each of you on the Sabbath lose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? So, before they get going to visit the synagogue on the Sabbath, they go over to the barn and they take out the ox, and they make sure that the ox is watered and everything else. Now, that's work! But, oh, they consider, oh, that's our possession. See? We've got to take care of our possessions, even on the Sabbath day. And then he goes on to say, So, not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, think of it, for eighteen years, be loosed from this barn on the Sabbath. And when he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. And you see, the people that were ordinary, they knew better, but they were afraid of these religious authorities. And so, when Christ showed them up, so they weren't the great spiritual leaders, then people were free to worship God. So, that's God in the flesh working with people, because he has a higher standard than human beings. Let's go to another example. In Mark 5, Mark 5, verse 21, It says, So, this was around all of these towns, around the lake of Galilee, because that was a very prosperous area. Fishing, a lot of things, and so all of these towns had surrounded the lake. It was a fresh water lake. There wasn't that much water in that whole region of Israel. But being around Lake Galilee, you had plenty of fish, and you had all kinds of commerce going on. They usually salted that fish and put them in barrels, and they shipped them all over. The Roman Empire, even the emperor in Rome, received some of this salted fish, because it was so delicious. So, they had a prosperous area, and so he crossed the lake there. And a great multitude was waiting for him.

Verse 22, This was another rabbi, Jairus, by name. And when he saw him, he fell at his feet. This was a different attitude. This wasn't one... Who knows? He was really desperate.

So, I guess he forgot all about the prominence he had, and he just kneeled before Jesus. Verse 23, And begged him earnestly, saying, My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live. Now, this man humbled himself, showed faith that Jesus was the Son of God, and had that limitless power. So, Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed him and thronged him.

These were the people of the street. They were following him. Now, a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. Probably, she, after her menopause, just didn't work out, and she had bleeding every month. She had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse. So, doctors couldn't remedy the problem, and she had spent all the money, because that was a very nasty problem to have every month. Have the bleeding, and how embarrassing that was, and painful. Verse 27, And when she heard about Jesus, she came behind him in the crowd, and touched his garment.

For she said, If only I may touch his clothes, I shall be made well. She believed that he had that power. Immediately, the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. She realized she'd been made whole. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that power had gone out from him.

Of course, he charged his spiritual power every day, getting close to God. And he realized some of that, somebody had touched, and they had had faith. He didn't even know who it was, but it drew the connection and drew the power.

Turned around in the crowd and said, Who touched my clothes? But his disciples said to him, You see the multitude thronging you, and you say, Who touched me? He said, People are pressing on you. This is a big crowd. And you're saying, Who touched you? Well, they didn't know about the healing, but Jesus did. And he looked around to see her, who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. So she didn't know. Was he going to be mad?

She might have said, Well, this man has this power, and now I took some of that power. Maybe he'll be upset at me. I didn't even ask permission. He didn't grant permission. And so, of course, she was scared. She didn't know how Jesus was. And so he answered, and he said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. So he didn't shied her. He said, Your faith, congratulations. You had enough faith to do that. And it was granted to you, even without Jesus Christ physically ordering or allowing that to happen.

And while he was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? They talked to Jairus, and he said, Well, your daughter died. So no need for Jesus to come to your home. It's too late. She can't be healed. And so this was what they thought. And as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not be afraid, only believe.

So again, something that Jesus didn't have to do, but he had compassion. He looked into people and saw whether they had that faith, whether they were yielding to him, they were accepting him as the Messiah and God in the flesh. And he permitted no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. So again, he wanted this to be private. He wasn't there to make a spectacle and impress people.

He was humble and meek. He always used the power for the good of others, not for his own aggrandizement. And when he came in, then came into the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a tumult of those who wept and wailed loudly. Of course, the death of a young daughter, how terrible that can be. Devastating. And when he came in, he said to them, why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping. And they ridiculed him, which is normal. They had verified that the girl was dead. And here comes Jesus and said, no, he's not. But when he had put them all outside, didn't want to make a spectacle, he took the father and the mother of the child, this was Jairus, and the mother, and those who were with him, and entered where the child was lying. Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, Talitha, Kumi, which is translated, little girl, I say to you, arise. Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. See, these are these little details, incidental details, that why give the age? If it was something invented, usually you don't add that. But here, these apostles, they were witnesses to this. She was twelve, and they were overcome with great amazement. But he commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat. So there's another detail. That little girl had been sick, she'd been dehydrated, hadn't eaten for a long time, and now she was healed, and she was hungry. And Christ said, remember, she's hungry, meet her need, the attention she needs. Again, another incidental detail, showing the authenticity of the amount, of the case that Christ saw. She was hungry. And so, he didn't leave without caring. He said, please feed her, because she's suffering for lack of food. So we see again, Christ using his power not in a way to impress others. They had to entreat him. In most of the cases, he saw the needs. That's how he governed himself. He wasn't out there to impress anyone. Notice another case in Mark 7, verse 31.

It says again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, he came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to put his hand on him. So here's a man that not only couldn't hear, but also couldn't talk. I mean, how pitiful! How tragic a case like this! And he took him aside from the multitude, didn't do it in front of everybody, didn't try to impress him, and put his fingers in his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, Epaphrotha, that is, be open. This is in the Aramaic language. Immediately his ears were open, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then he commanded them that they should tell no one. But the more he commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished, beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. So again, you see the humility of Christ. He wasn't out there trying to impress people. He was out there to help. And he really felt those that are afflicted, that were poor, that were helpless. He was there focusing. He wasn't there looking at the big wigs of society and making a big impression on the rulers of that age. Again, it shows how authentic God is walking among us. He was love personified. He was care personified. He was mercy personified. Notice another example. In Matthew 8, and he healed many different people. He wasn't a respecter of persons. Here's a case of a man who wasn't even a Jew. This was a Roman. In Matthew 8, verse 5. It says, now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, which was his headquarters area, a centurion came to him, pleading with him. These centurions were the equivalent of a military captain. They had usually a hundred men under their care. That's why the word centurion means a hundred.

A group of a hundred. And he came to Jesus pleading with him. That was what always softened Jesus' heart. When they would come and pleaded with him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him. So this centurion, which is a powerful man, but he humbled himself, and he cared for his servant that touched Jesus' heart. And he said, I will help you. I see the right attitude. And so the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, go, and he goes, and to another, come, and he comes, and to my servant, do this, and he does it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed. As surely, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel. And I say to you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. So he's talking men that were outside of the country of Israel and the heritage of Israel, but who had showed that faith, that they would be together with Abraham and others. So he wasn't just saying, it's just going to be the Jews, only Israel is going to be in the kingdom. No, he said, those that show that type of faith, they're going to be part. So Jesus Christ was a universalist. He loved all of mankind. He was willing to serve all of mankind. He didn't have those biases and narrow-minded prejudices of their day.

Again, he was God in the flesh, God amongst us. Goes on to say, but the sons of the kingdom, those that were the rulers there in Judea, will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then Jesus said to the centurion, go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you. And his servant was healed that same hour.

So again, it was something that was initiative of someone else that touched Jesus' heart. And that's the same Christ that we have in heaven. He can be touched. He is healing today as he has healed in the past. Let's go to another example in Matthew 9, verse 27. Just a chapter over. You can see how many stories there are of Christ's healing.

Matthew 9, verse 27, it says, Jesus departed from there, and two blind men followed him, crying out and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to him, Yes, Lord. Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, let it be to you. And their eyes were open, and Jesus sternly warned them, saying, See that no one knows it. But when they had departed, they spread the news about him in all that country. Never worked out very well. People are just so excited and enthusiastic, they couldn't keep their mouths shut over these miracles.

Let's go to one last example in Mark chapter 10. Because it wasn't just people that were sick and infirm.

Jesus also had a very soft place in his heart for children, as well as for those women. He treated them with respect, with love. And children in those days, they were expected to be seen, but not heard.

But Jesus said, These are people too. They have rights too. They should be cared for too. Notice in Mark chapter 10 verse 13, this apparently was in his house because it says here in verse 10, In the house his disciples also asked him again about the same matter. And then verse 13, Then they brought little children to him, that he might touch them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. See, they still had their prejudices. They said, Oh, Jesus, don't use your powers on them. They're insignificant. Little children. They're not worth very much. Why don't you focus on people that are important and can really give us favor. But that wasn't Jesus at all. He cared for those that were powerless. The insignificant ones of society. Verse 14, But when Jesus saw it, he was greatly displeased and said to them, Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God. That Christ-like attitude of humility, of meekness, of innocence, the kingdom of God has to be filled with that type of attitude. Verse 15, As surely I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. Again, his unlimited power now being applied to little children. Do you know what it would have been like to have been blessed by Jesus Christ when you were a little child? How many miracles and protection that would have availed? But again, Christ wasn't figuring on earning some favor from people. He wasn't that way. And so the key was that Jesus Christ was not a respecter of persons.

At the same time, we should be respectful and submissive, but not weak. So we should learn not to be a respecter of persons, not to look on the outside and see whether it's good to do a person a favor for what they can give you back or not. That wasn't Jesus' way. He did things because that was the right thing to do. And he really felt for those who could not help themselves. They were too poor. They were too needy. They were too sick.

Notice what it tells us in Galatians 2, verse 6.

Galatians 2, verse 6, He says, But from those who seemed to be something, He was talking about the leading apostles, whatever they were, it makes no difference to me. God shows personal favoritism to no man, for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me. So Paul could respect the apostles, but he said, God doesn't have favorites. And I'm not going to do that either. I'm here because God called me. I have to give account to God. I don't have to be out here currying favors to get advantage of others. And there's a scripture in James, chapter 2, that gives us an illustration of not being a respecter of persons. It's one of the great tragedies of humankind is this favoritism to those that can give you backing or support or help. Yeah, be nice to them. But those that can't do anything for you, keep them away. Don't do anything. They can't really benefit you at all. Notice in James, chapter 2, verse 1, James, who was Jesus Christ's half-brother, he saw the example Christ had given. And so he knew very well that being a respecter of persons is against God's laws. He says, verse 1, And you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, You sit here in a good place and say to the poor man, You stand there. Don't even take a seat. Or sit here at my footstool, at the worst place. Have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren, has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into courts? In other words, once you're in the church, it doesn't matter whether you are prosperous or not. And many times, it's that poor, humble person who has the greatest spiritual development, and the others who have made a lot of money and become very rich sometimes, because they've compromised with the world, because they know who they can get favor from and expect favor from. And so here you have the example that we shouldn't be a respecter of persons. He goes on to say, verse 7, Do they not blaspheme the noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

And showing partiality is a type of idolatry. You're making a person into an idol, and you're giving that person special treatment, special favor. And God says, no, only give God that glory and special favor.

For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point is guilty of all. For he who said, Do not commit adultery also said, Do not murder. Now, if you do not commit adultery but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy and mercy triumphs over judgment. So if we're merciful, for understanding, if we're patient with those that are difficult to treat, as well as with those that are easy to treat and treat them the same way.

Jesus Christ gave us an example because He was Emmanuel. He walked as God on this earth, and He gave us an example to follow in our homes, in the church, in our own personal lives.

The Garden Grove brethren are known to be very generous people. I know they help a lot every time. Latin America, a lot of the brethren are not doing well. And I love that about the Garden Grove spirit. Ever since my wife and I came, one thing they are. They're compassionate and they're generous. But we can do better. We can work on this because we got that example of Jesus Christ, who is not a respecter of persons, and He loved people, especially those that were afflicted, that were needy, and that God placed before us to be able to help out. So, brethren, remember, mercy will be given according to how we have mercy.