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"To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress." Proverbs 28:21
This verse is both a warning to us about other people as well as for our own personal behavior. Respect of persons is when you give special treatment to certain people while ignoring others. In the Bible, this is usually directly related to the amount of wealth that a person has.
"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, me beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors." James 2:1-9
Usually, we are embarrassed around those with significantly more wealth than ourselves, while we build ourselves up above those with lesser wealth. We examine other's clothing, houses, cars and other possessions to see where we stand and act accordingly. How often do we fail to speak to those in services who are dressed in stained clothes? Do we invite those to our table who really need the meal or do we invite those who we will simply be "comfortable" with their company?
Both of these verses also warn us about the loyalty of people who are respecters of persons. These are the people who sell out their friends for money. And, you are much more likely to find true, faithful Christians among the poor than the rich. The poor are the ones that show up every time the church opens its doors and share what little they have. It is typically the poor that will stick by your side no matter what when the rich are worried about their images.
These verses are certainly a lesson in humility of how we treat others and how we present ourselves.
"Honor all men." I Peter 2:17
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