A Christians approach to life situations part 9
Prejudice
In one form or another everyone has experience prejudice and everyone has been prejudice the reason why I say this confidence is because there are kinds of different ways a person can be prejudice. First, lets define prejudice.
1. A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
2. An unfavorable opinion or
feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason
3. Any preconceived opinion or
feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
4. Unreasonable feelings,
opinions, or attitudes, esp. of a hostile nature, regarding a racial,
religious, or national group.
As you can see there are many
ways a person can be prejudice, but a simple way to express what it means is
from a saying that I have heard all my life is, “Don’t judge a book by its
cover.” If you do, then you are being prejudice because you have prejudged it by
its appearance alone. So, anytime you prejudge something without actually
knowing if your judgment is true you are being prejudice.
For instance, when I was growing
up I wouldn’t eat very many foods because if I didn’t think it looked good,
then I assumed it tasted bad. So, I was being prejudice against certain foods
and I am sure there are some here in this room that has done this same
thing. I could list a host of things
from inanimate objects, insects or animals and I guarantee I can find more than
one thing that you have prejudged or had prejudice against. This is why I said
that everyone has been prejudice in their lives. Instead, of doing this I want
to focus the remainder of this lesson on how people are prejudice of other
people and God views it and how we as Christians should deal with prejudice.
Our first example comes from
Gen. 43. Now in this chapter Joseph is 2nd in command over
Genesis 43:32 So they
set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate
with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the
Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians.
This is what you call
national prejudice. The Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews or any other
persons that wasn’t an Egyptian. Many people today are also prejudice against
other nations. For instance, when people talk about
Since we hear these types
of things about different nations, we tend prejudge people from the nation that
they come from and think that they are all the same.
Another example of
prejudice comes from the Jews of Judea and the Samaritans of Samaria. These two
groups of people lived next to each other, but because of the Jews prejudice
toward them they despised them and wouldn’t even set foot into their land
because they were taught it would make them unclean. As we have learned in
Bible class the Samaritans were part Jew and part Gentile and this is why the
Jews despised them so.
The Samaritans were not
the only ones that the Jews looked down on they also were prejudice against all
Gentiles. In other words, if you were not a Jew then they did not like you and
you couldn’t convince them otherwise.
Well, we have similar
type of prejudice in
For instance, I am part
Indian. What do people think about when they think about an Indian? Well, they
think about how they scalped people, how they can do a rain dance and how they
cannot hold their liquor. More recently, people think about smoke shops and
gambling casinos.
White people are
sometimes viewed as be arrogant and thinking there better than everyone else.
However, if a white person lives in trailer park people call the white trash
and consider them to be poor, ignorant and willing to do anything for a buck.
Some think that people
from
Others think that Asians
are all mathematical wizards.
People think that African
Americans or anyone with a dark skin color can’t resist certain kinds of food
and they believe that they will most likely commit a crime and are usually
poor.
People think that all
Jews are tightwads.
Finally, when people
think of Mexicans they think none of them can speak English and that there
probably here illegally and they think they are all willing to work for pennies
on the dollar. Now there are certainly
more ethic groups I could mention, but I think you get the idea. It because of
these preconceived ideas that are pounded into heads is why we prejudge people
based on their skin color before we know anything about them.
Now some people will
claim that they don’t have a prejudice bone in their body. But, there are many
in this world that will show their prejudice in the next example.
Numbers 12:1 Then
Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had
married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 So they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through
Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it.
Here
we find Miriam and Aaron speaking against Moses because he had married this
Ethiopian or some versions say Cushite. Some believe that this is referring to
Moses 1st wife Zipporah while others believe that Moses first wife
died and then he took this second wife who probably one of the many strangers
that came along with the children of Israel on their journey. In either case
Aaron and Miriam were not happy with Moses decision and they were using his
gentile wife to try and bring him down and make themselves an equal with Moses.
Here
is where a lot of people will draw the line today. In their mind they think it
is wrong to marry someone from another ethnic group. The greater the contrast
in their skin color the more wrong it is thought to be. I have heard people say that they think that
you should stick to your own kind. In other words, someone that looks like them
and has a similar skin color. When we make statements like this and think this
way we are being prejudice. Its like it doesn’t matter how smart, kind or God
fearing a person is, but all that matters is the color of their skin or where
they are from.
Well,
when you continue in this chapter you will see that God punishes Miriam by
turning her leprosy for speaking against Moses. This should make us think twice
about being prejudice in this area.
Now
someone might say under the OT God commanded the Jews not to marry foreigners
and this is true. However, He did not make this command to discriminate against
a persons skin color. Instead, His reason
was because these other nations did not believe in Him and the
worshipped false Gods and He knew this would corrupt the Jews way of thinking.
Besides this God did permit those who became a proselytes to become part of the
Jews.
Esther 8:17 And in every province and city,
wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a
feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews,
because fear of the Jews fell upon them.
For instance, we know that Rahab, who helped the 2
spies escape from
Another way people prejudge people is by their
physical size. If they are overweight they believe that person is overeating
and while that can be the case it is not always true because some people can
eat the same amounts as other people do, but their body sucks every calorie and
fat gram it can from the food and stores it as fat. When people look at a thin
person they might think they are starving themselves, but that not always the
case because some peoples bodies just pass the food right on through and some
of them have to eat twice as much food that is recommend just so they can keep
from getting skinner.
Another thing that some prejudge others on is
found in,
James 2:1 My brethren, do not hold the
faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into
your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also
come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3
and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him,
"You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You
stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality
among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
From a worldly perspective this happens all the
time. The rich and the famous almost always receive preferential treatment.
They get the best seats in restaurants and the best service. Companies will
give them stuff for free just because they are rich and famous. If someone
commits a crime against them the police will work hard to find the criminal.
Amusement parks have opened up just for a celebrity while the general public is
kept out.
Just the opposite is true with the poor. They get
the worst seats and worst service. People look down on them and when they walk
in a store they are watched closely because they might try and steal something.
If someone commits a crime against them a lot times is becomes low priority.
What is sad is that happens within the church
sometimes as well. If someone comes to the service and they look really nice
have on brand new suite people are quick to greet them and shake their hand,
but if someone comes in that has clothes that are worn out and they smell kind
of funny, many times they will avoid them, but this should not be the case as
James has said as Christians we are not supposed to show partiality.
Just because a person has money does not mean that
they are good person nor does it make them better than a poor person. God
certainly doesn’t see any different between the poor and the rich.
Job 34:19 Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the
work of His hands.
Since God doesn’t show them partiality neither
should we. There are certainly more ways that can be mentioned that people show
prejudice, but now I want show how prejudice can be harmful to you.
In Acts 17 Paul gained an audience with the
Athenians who were always ready to hear something new. But, notice what happens
in,
Acts 17:32 And when they heard of the
resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, "We will hear
you again on this matter." 33
So Paul departed from among them.
Paul had the attention until he mentioned the
resurrection of the dead. Since the people had a preconceived idea that the
resurrection was not true most of them were not willing to listen any more and
they mocked him.
This is what prejudice can do, it cause you to
close your mind to learning new things. In this case, most of the Athenians
will not be saved because of the prejudice. I have run across the type of
prejudice when I have tried to study with those of denominations. I don’t ask
them to believe me based on my opinions, but to believe what the Bible says
about different topics, but because they prejudge me for being a member of the
I remember one instance here in Lone Grove when I
had done some door knocking when a lady was happy to see me and was glad that I
was trying setup Bible studies and she took a worksheet I gave her and she said
she would do it. Now, I didn’t now this at the time but her husband is a deacon
in the Baptist church. So, I was excited that I had found someone that was
interested in studying the Bible and the worksheet I gave her only pointed out
that the Bible is our authority and that we are under the new covenant and not
the old. Well, I went back the next week to give her the second worksheet she
came to the door and had frown on her face and she told me she was not
interested in studying with or going through another worksheet. Now I could be
wrong, but I think what happened was she told her husband that a
We have to be careful as well not to allow our
prejudice to keep us from growing in Christ as we should. We have to careful
that we don’t take our opinions and make them into scripture. We should also
not be scared to restudy some topics that we thought were true because
sometimes we can be wrong and if we find that scriptures show that we are wrong
then we must be willing to change.
Another thing we learn about prejudice is that our
prejudice can influence other to be prejudice as well.
Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch,
I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came
from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and
separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also
played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with
their hypocrisy. 14 But when
I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said
to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner
of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
Once again we can see that the prejudice between
the Jews and Gentiles and what is sad is that Peter got caught up in this
again. Peter was the first apostle that God used to show that both Jew and
Gentile could be saved. In Acts 10 God gave Peter a vision about animals the
Jews were not supposed to eat under Moses’ Law and he was told to eat but Peter
said he would not. Then a voice told him “What God has cleansed you must not
call common." While he trying to figure this vision out some Gentiles were
coming to him and the spirit tells him to go with them doubting nothing, so he
and some other Jews go to Cornelius household and he begins to preach to them.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth
and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 "But in every nation
whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Peter has figured out that God doesn’t show
partiality between the Jew or the Gentile and then this is confirmed further
when God baptizes these Gentiles with the Holy Spirit just as Peter starts
preaching to them and then Peter seeing with his eyes what God has shown him he
immediately commands them to be baptized and we now have the first Gentile
Christians. So, you would think this even would have done away with Peter’s
prejudice toward the Gentiles, but he had a moment of weakness and now he
wasn’t eating with them when other Jews were around and even cause Barnabas to
become prejudice as well. So, we have to be careful that we don’t cause others
to be influenced by our preconceived ideas.
We have also learned from
Peter that God is not prejudice and does not show partiality. Not only is this
taught throughout the NT it was also taught in the OT as well. For instance
take a look at,
Deuteronomy 10:17
"For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great
God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. 18 "He administers justice
for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and
clothing. 19 "Therefore
love the stranger, for you were strangers in the
So, this leads into to my
last point that you and I need to consider as we think about prejudice.
1. Since God is our
master and he doesn’t show partiality then neither should we.
2. I want you to consider
the word racist - A person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior
to others. This is a manmade definition because the Bible does not teach us
that there are different races. Instead, it teaches us that there is only 1
race the human race.
Genesis 1:26 Then
God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the
cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth." 27 So God
created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them.
It doesn’t matter what
you skin color is or what language you speak, we are all made in the image of
God. That is why God doesn’t show partiality and that is why God doesn’t look
at the outer appearance, He looks at our hearts (1 Sam. 16:7).
3. John 3:16 For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
This tells us that God
loves everyone no matter who they are or what they may look like and Jesus died
on the cross for everyone.
4. Since Jesus died for
everyone this means that everyone can be saved that will obey God’s plan of salvation. Please notice what
Paul says about this in,
Galatians 3:26 For you
are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's,
then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Paul makes it clear that
when you become a child of God by having an obedient faith and you are baptized
into Christ that you become adopted sons and daughters of Christ. All
Christians whether they be Jew, Gentile, male or female all become one in
Christ. We are now brothers and sister and we should treat each other as such
no matter what a person looks like.
This means we must do our
best not to prejudge anyone by their appearance alone. Instead, we need to take
the time to get to know a person and when we do then we can know if a person is
good or bad or somewhere in between, but in either case we are still told to
love them.
5. We need to remind
ourselves that if we do show partiality that it is a sin.
James 2:8 If you
really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; 9 but if you show partiality, you
commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
The last thing I want to
share with this morning is what you and I can do to try and get other to
overcome their prejudices. A great example of this is found in,
John 1:45 Philip
found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the
law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of
At the very beginning of
Jesus’ ministry Philip is already being evangelistic and he invites Nathanael
to come see Jesus. At first Nathaniel’s prejudice almost kept him from going to
see Jesus because he had the preconceived idea that the people of
This is exactly what you
and I can do help other overcome their prejudice and this is by encouraging
them to investigate and find out if the preconceived ideas are right or wrong.
Many times they will find out that that their preconceived ideas were wrong.
In conclusion, we have
learned that many of our preconceived ideas have come from our upbringing,
society and stereotypes. We can be prejudice towards things and toward other
humans. We learned that God does not show partiality and that we should not
either because we are all made in his image. We leaned that we should never
judge a book by its cover, but instead we should investigate and get to know a
person to really find out what they are like. We also found that we can either
be a good influence or a bad influence in the way that we handle prejudice.
Finally we learned that being prejudice is a sin and that we should do our best
to love those around us and treat them all the same.