Partiality has no place among Christians. It’s an enemy to the message of the gospel, to the worship of God, to the life of a congregation, and to the ministry of discipline. Rather, as we hold our faith in the Lord of glory and are controlled and influenced by his interests and purpose, our eyes are veiled to the face of man and impartiality becomes our blindfold.

Lady Justice — a figure most of us are familiar with — stands with a blindfold over her eyes, clasping a beam balance in her hand, and wielding a sword with the other. With a certain simplicity she beautifully personifies the attributes of justice, and a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. As one author wrote about her: “Among all the symbolic images the one pertaining to justice possess primacy by its nature, bringing with it a special patrimony of emotions and values and a capacity to kindle the sentiments of individuals as well as those of the masses.”

There are, however, interpretive difficulties. Leading the debates of interpretation is the meaning of the blindfold. In the earliest depiction her eyes were uncovered but beginning in the sixteenth century she was portrayed with the blindfold. Nevertheless, the path of least resistance commends a simple but profound message. Her eyes are bandaged because Justice cannot see what might cause her judgment to be partial. What is partiality? Partiality is when in matters of justice you base your judgment — in attitude, word, or action — on something that shouldn’t be the basis of your judgment. In the words of one poet: “I am known as justice, I know the rich and poor equally; My eyes are bound, So that rich and poor appear the same.” Interestingly, the eyes can become a means of corruption. One peek out from behind the blindfold can compromise Lady Justice’s obligation to impartiality.

Impartiality is a lesson learned beyond the sculptures of artists. In fact, it comes with divine authority in the Bible. For instance, Solomon wisely spoke: “Partiality in judging is not good” (Proverbs 24:23). It can’t get more straightforward than that. Additionally, James pointedly writes: “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1). Partiality is contrary to the glory of God. Also, with tremendous force and in the context of holding elders in the church accountable, Paul wrote to Timothy: “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality” (1 Timothy 5:21).

Again and again God commands his people to be impartial. Why? Because our hearts are inclined to partiality. We have a natural tendency to slip off the blindfold. Again, as Solomon instructed: “To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong” (Proverbs 28:21). The point is well made. For the smallest profit a man will sell justice – for the tiniest excuse he will sneak a peek. The sinfulness of favoritism can hardly be overemphasized. That’s because partiality doesn’t reflect God — the quality of his handiwork (Job 34:19), the purity of his wisdom (James 3:17), the rectitude of his judgments (1 Peter 1:17), the breadth of his promises (Acts 10:34-35), or the glory of Jesus who wasn’t swayed by appearances (Mark 12:14). To express it this way: how unlike God we are when we show partiality. For, “There is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality” (2 Chronicles 19:7).

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