James 2

James 2:6:
​But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

​Or dishonoured, and reproached them, by showing respect of persons, in preferring the rich to them, and in distinguishing them in such a manner as was to their contempt and injury; which is a reproaching not only of them, but their Maker; and is in effect saying, that God has done either a weak or a wrong thing, in choosing them to be rich in faith, and heirs of a kingdom, it being directly contrary to his conduct --John Gills Expostion of the Bible - Referring probably to something in their conduct which existed particularly then. The meaning is not that they oppressed the poor as such, but that they oppressed those whom James addressed. It is probable that then, as since, a considerable portion of those who were Christians were in fact poor, and that this would have all the force of a personal appeal; but still the particular thought is, that it was a characteristic of the rich and the great, whom they were disposed peculiarly to honor, to oppress and crush the poor. The Greek here is very expressive: “Do they not imperiously lord it over you?” The statement here will apply with too much force to the rich in every age. --Barnes There are two things being dealt with in these verses. James is still correcting the behavior of those in the synagogue who were giving preferential treatment to the wealthy over the poor based solely on their standing within the community. He is reminding the recipients of this letter that making value judgments on a person’s place in the Kingdom, especially those value judgments based on money or earthly things, is wrong. God is the only rightful judge and respecter of persons, and He does so because He can see a person’s heart. God is not interested in wealth, so neither should we be. However, James is also dealing with something more figurative. He is not saying that the rich are horrible and should be shunned either, simply because they are wealthy. He is again pointing to what emphasis all of us should place on value, and that is certainly not on earthly things. Those who find their place within the confines of worldly goods are not looking to the only true Source of joy and completeness, and that is our Lord. In so doing, they blaspheme God’s name and His place. James is reminding us of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” ---Love Everlasting