Partiality is the act of giving preference to one over another. In Leviticus, the Lord is commanding that those who rule should not show favor to the poor in order to show favor to the great. The term poor is one that can be interchangeable with oppressed or destitute, even defenseless. Those who do not have the means or the financial ability to defend themselves.
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
We read again in James 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. Show no preference of one over another. In this instance James is using the situation where a wealthy person adorned in nice clothing comes into your congregation and you give him preference to where he sits.
We Christians have a tendency to do this in many aspects of our lives. How we treat those in our churches or friends groups. How we treat strangers or our neighbors. We also have a tendency to do so with the sins we approve of in our lives.
The greatest example of partiality Christians are faced with today, is in the realm of abortion. There are groups who claim to be pro (for) life, that are partial when it comes to the laws that are created to advocate for our neighbors. They are partial, in that, they advocate for the regulation of abortion and not for the life itself. We hear of many faux wins within the pro-life movement that are not wins at all. They are not wins if they do not deal with the sin of murder.
Many pro-life groups have championed bills that are deceitfully called “Heartbeat Bills”. The idea is that at the point where a heartbeat is detected, abortion is no longer allowed. This concept flies in the face of God. We know that it is God Himself that forms us in our mother’s womb. (Jer 1:5, Isa 49:5) If it is God who does the forming, it is not man who makes the decision when that child becomes living.
Yet, pro-life organizations are fine with putting a provision for the killing of the life that God has formed.
In a land that has just laws, a person who commits a murder is to be charged with a penalty for that crime. In fact, if a person kills a pregnant woman, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, that person is charged with two counts of murder. This is a just law, because it shows no partiality toward the lives.
If we are as Christians, submitted to the statutes and commands of our Lord, we agree that murder is wrong. It is un-debatable. So why are we partial in our justice towards the poor and oppressed in the womb? This is detestable to the Lord.
There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,-Proverbs 6:16-18
When we show partiality, we show that we are not confident in the Lord’s words. We show that we choose to please man over God.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. –Galatians 1:10
