“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.” (James 2:1, NIV)
There is nothing more natural than choosing favorites.
However, as disciples of Jesus, we are to take our natural life and — through obedience to God — create a spiritual reality.
The reality referred to in today’s scripture verse is a reality where persons are not evaluated and elevated by the clothes they are wearing.
Persons who are obedient to spiritual laws have chosen to live in a spiritual reality. This does not mean being ignorant of natural preferences. It does mean being scrupulously obedient to God when He requires that our natural choices reflect a spiritual perspective.
Beware of preferring others by how they are dressed. Kings can dress like paupers; and paupers like kings. – Luther