Partiality

I might as well as been punched in the nose. As I read the Good Book this morning, I came across this:

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
- Lev. 19:15

What? I reread it. And then one more time just to be sure. But sure enough, it was a rebuke directed at my heart. I generally do not have any problems showing favoritism to the great or rich, but it has become my default to show partiality to the poor.

At first it was difficult to marry this passage with others like Luke 6:20, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God," or Isaiah 58:6 "loose the chains of injustice and [...] set the oppressed free." But I am still meditating and trust that when the situation presents itself, this pericope will sound.

I imagine, if it were in a gospel retelling, it would sound something like this:

"The pharisees and scribes, in their attempt to trap him, asked Jesus a question. "Teacher," they said (because they always wanted to appear respectful), "Moses instructed us 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth' but we know you taught us a few chapters ago to turn the other cheek. If a man steals a sheep and gets away, then he steals from another and gets away again, when he steals and is caught should the captor let him go and turn the other cheek, or turn him over to the authorities that he may learn his lesson? For if he steals from another, the man who let him go did not show his love for his neighbor. And if the man turns him over to the authorities, will the theif not be put into a corrupt and abusive cycle likely to perpetuate the cycle of crime? How can love be shown to this man?

Jesus replied, "The man must not be shown partiality [insert reference letter for Lev. 19:15], but also, as I will instruct you in Matthew 25:36, you should visit this man in prison. Not to mock him, but instead bring him food and befriend him that he may know constant, eternal love and repent and turn to my father in heaven."

The pharisees and scribes were amazed at his answer and returned to their mansions to contemplate ways to ruin him.

I don't know. I'm not trying to put words in Jesus' mouth, but the reality of injustice, theft and compromising moral situations find us everyday in our neighborhoods. What do you think?