What kinds of discrimination do we often see?

John 4:27Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”

Luke 24:10-11It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.

The disciples were shocked to find Jesus having an extended conversation with a Samaritan woman. It was unusual for a respected rabbi to initiate such a one-on-one conversation with a woman, particularly a Samaritan woman with a checkered past. Later, the disciples disbelieved the women who witnessed the angels and the empty tomb. Even today, women are sometimes brushed off, disrespected, or undervalued.

Proverbs 20:29The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.

1 Timothy 4:12Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

1 Peter 5:5In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Ageism is a common form of discrimination that goes both ways. Young people are written off as foolish and inexperienced. Old people are written off as weak and out-of-touch. While there are natural benefits and drawbacks to both youth and old age, it is dangerous to assume we know what someone is capable of merely based on their age. Scripture encourages us to treat people of all ages with humility and respect.

Colossians 3:11In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Ephesians 2:14For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.

The early church brought people of all kinds together—but that process wasn’t without its racial and cultural conflicts. Ephesians describes a “wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) between Jews and Gentiles, and even different kinds of Gentiles had conflicts with each other. For instance, highly educated Greeks viewed many other people groups (such as the Scythians) as “barbaric” or “uncivilized.” Today, we live in a very different context, but there are still histories of conflict between people groups and cultural differences that separate us. The early church didn’t force Jews to stop being Jewish or force Gentiles to become Jewish. It allowed for different cultures to meet together and unite in Christ without erasing their distinct cultural identities. That’s something the church today must navigate as well.

Acts 4:13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 8:1While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

Differences in education can lead to discrimination. Those of us with more knowledge or formal education may be tempted to become prideful, impatient, or irritated towards others who don’t believe or understand things like we do. On the other hand, those of us with less formal education (and perhaps more real-life experiences) might become frustrated with the pride of ivory tower intellectuals who overestimate the scope and practicality of their knowledge. Discrimination of this kind hinders relationships and opportunities to learn from each other.

John 9:1-3As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”

In Jesus’ day, people with disabilities were sometimes discriminated against because their disability was viewed as a punishment from God for sin. Even today, it’s sadly not unheard of for a disability to be treated like a character flaw. Sometimes disabled people are ignored or treated as an inconvenience. Other times, disabled people are infantilized and treated in a condescending way.

Leviticus 19:15“Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.”

James 2:1-4My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

Wealth and social station (or the lack thereof) are common reasons for bias and discrimination. Poor people might be seen as unimportant or disreputable, and rich people may be seen as valuable and respected. On the other hand, poor people might be seen as hard-working and sincere and rich people might be seen as selfish, lazy, and entitled. It’s dangerous to let biases cloud our judgment and to assume we know someone’s personality and character based on their financial state.

John 1:46“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.

Jesus was discriminated against because of where he came from. Nazareth was a town in Galilee, a rural region looked down upon for being rough and uneducated and a place where foreigners lived.

1 Samuel 16:6-7When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Proverbs 11:22A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

Often, something as simple as physical appearance (height, beauty, clothing, etc.) can predispose us toward or against someone. God warned Samuel—and warns all of us—to consider someone’s quality of character first and foremost.