One of the most encouraging truths about Jesus was one of his most offensive traits.
Jesus was impartial.
Luke 20:21 reads, ‘So they asked him, ‘Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.’”
Jesus spoke and taught rightly.
Jesus showed no partiality.
Jesus truly taught the way of God.
They didn’t argue with his teaching, but consistently took issue with the sinners he was seeking, and the judgment he gave to the Pharisees and other leaders. Why is this so offensive?
Because God’s impartiality denies your good works the wages you think they deserve.
The Jewish leaders around Jesus, like many since their time, sought justification before God through their own righteous actions. And Jesus was befriending people who needed Him, not who thought that they deserved Him. Some of Jesus’ followers were living openly unrighteous lives, and some were not.
Like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal, these leaders were standing outside of Jesus’ ministry— offended and angry that Jesus would teach so correctly and then apply the law so impartially. Meaning that he would extend grace to all while also applying condemnation and judgment to all.
Romans 2:11-12, “For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”
God is impartial in his judgment of sin, and he is extravagant and lavish in his giving of grace!
Romans 3:22-25, “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
Romans 6:22-23, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
There is a purpose and a place for our good works, or righteousness. As an unnamed author writes, “To commingle the good we do in our sanctification with the righteousness of Christ in our justification is to deny the gospel. Yet we must never separate sanctification from justification.” (Ligonier article)
Our good works bring honor to God and fulfill the purpose He has for our lives.
Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
In a world and culture that is self-focused and elevating personal preferences, the church that is centered on Jesus is a people who are marked by humility rather than partiality.
James 2:1-5 says, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?”