As followers of Jesus, we know the Golden Rule – the idea that we’re supposed to treat others as we would want to be treated. We understand that regardless of how much money someone has, we ought to treat them like we would treat someone with little in their bank account. Regardless of their ethnicity, social status, wealth status, and any other difference, we ought to treat everyone with kindness and respect. We know all of that.
But do we live it out well? Or do we think about celebrities as if they are deserving of special attention? How do we act when we see a music idol or sports star on TV…or if we happen to meet them in-person? How do we act when someone with a celebrity or someone with a lot of money walks into the room? Do we idolize those types of people without even knowing it? Do we think about them as more important than others due to their “special” differences, i.e., the differences that we favor for one reason or another? That’s favoritism. That’s partiality. That type of thinking is biased.
Celebrities need Jesus. Music idols need Jesus. Sports stars need Jesus. Rich people need Jesus. We have all sinned. No mere human is perfect, so there’s no good reason to idolize anyone. We should treat all humans well, without showing partiality to anyone. It’s not just about head knowledge; it’s about obeying God’s Word.
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. ~ James 2:1
Minimizing me...making much of Jesus 