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a higher standard

James 2:8-11 (JDV)

James 2:8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Care about your neighbor like yourself, you are doing well.
James 2:9 If, however, you show prejudice, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet trips at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.
James 2:11 You see, he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.

a higher standard

What commandment is prejudice breaking? James answers that question in today’s text. The ten commandments for Israel were summarized by the two care commandments: Care about God with all that you are (Deuteronomy 6:5 summarizes Deuteronomy 5:6-15) and care about your neighbor as you do yourself (Leviticus 19:18 summarizes Deuteronomy 5:16-21).

Prejudice is a sin against your neighbor and against the God who created him or her. Such a sin was not appropriate for a Jew under the old covenant, nor is it for a Christian believer under the new covenant. We are held to a higher standard.