The epistle is written by James the brother of Jesus, who was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. In modern terms it would a letter from the head of the company, or from the general manager of the store or plant.
As we learned in the last reading or two (somewhere back there) James the Apostle has been killed by Herod Antipas. The church is suffering severe persecution and Paul just recently was locked away in prison but made a miraculous escape. No doubt, as a leader of the church, James felt the need to address all believers and tell them how to interpret what is going on around them.
Chapter One
No wonder he begins his letter with the thought that we should consider trials and troubles an opportunity to grow in our faith, and so those troubles should be cause for “great joy”. The Jewish Christians had great opportunity for joy under those circumstances. James provides the basic beliefs that will allow the believer to endure under trial: 1. the Lord isn’t tempting you 2. temptations come from desires within us 3. God gives wisdom to anyone who needs it. (I think he was talking about knowing how to deal with temptations and trials here) 4. God is always good 5. Blessings will be poured out on those who endure
If we keep these things in mind they will point our prayer life and our devotional life in the right direction.
I don’t know about you, but when things get difficult around me I tend to become crabby and short tempered. I don’t want to be that way, but I can be. I have successfully learned how to defeat sarcasm (but only on good days)…when things get tough I sometimes fall into old habits….which makes me sad.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the second thought in chapter one is a warning to “watch your mouth” and “control your anger”. If I can only act like a Christian when things are going well, what victory is there in that? The kind of Christianity that has the power to change things is the type that can channel the fruit of the Spirit while under great pressure. “Lord, help me to be that kind of Christian..the kind that is authentic and true to the fruit of the Spirit inside and out”.
Chapter Two
Let me summarize here: Don’t show favoritism, because when you do you are actually testifying that some people are better than others, and in Christ, that’s not true. If you show favoritism you have broken the law, just as if you murdered someone or committed adultery. Remember, if you break any part of the law, you have broken it all. Remember this: God will show mercy to those who have been merciful to others, and He won’t show mercy if you haven’t done so yourselves. So: the second thought in the chapter is directly tied to the idea that we should be merciful, so we aren’t guilty of breaking the law.
That means demonstrating your faith by doing good deeds. Of course, our good deeds aren’t going to “earn” us our salvation because Jesus already paid that price when He died for us. Our good deeds are the way in which we respond in mercy and compassion to those around us. If we have no mercy or compassion….then we shouldn’t expect Jesus to have any for us. Salvation is by faith, and by faith alone. Once saved by faith the believer will begin to act out of mercy and compassion to aid others…call it good deeds. The two are bound together and cannot be separated.
Chapter Three
This chapter is easy to summarize: “Watch your mouth”. Apparently James doesn’t feel he has done the subject justice in the few words he used earlier. I get the feeling here that he is talking about something more than saying the wrong thing when you are under pressure. (that was earlier). I think this might be a mean spirited discourse motivated by jealousy or greed (based on the comments at the end of the chapter). It’s one thing to not show favoritism to the wealthy, but on the other hand they shouldn’t be vilified either. The tenth commandment is “do not covet”, meaning that I shouldn’t want my neighbors things so badly that I do what is wrong to acquire them…I think this is related. I cannot be so envious of someone else’s success that I begin to talk bad about them. Sometimes the bride is actually picked on by some of the other girls…simply because they are jealous or envious.
Chapter Four
Thinking about each chapter alone is helping me tie them together. The thought at the beginning of 4 is a continuation of 3. You know, there weren’t any chapter headings or verse numbers in the original letter. This was meant to be read all at once, and not dissected line by line. Clearly there are fights and quarrels going on, and they are based in selfishness, greed and envy. The opposite attitude would be humility, which doesn’t judge others and trusts in God for all things. The last line is powerful: “If you know what you should do, but then you don’t do it…you’re sinning”
Chapter Five
James is wrapping up. He condemns those who have lived on the earth in luxury, hoarding wealth while others starve. We can avoid this by being generous with what God has given us. The most dangerous trap for Americans is the lure of wealth and luxury. It deadens us to the plight of those outside our borders.
Taking an occasional missions trip will help, but only an infilling of the Holy Spirit will be sufficient to help us to handle wealth correctly.
Endure under trial. Pray at all times and about all things. Wonderful things happen as a result of prayer. And finally, do whatever you can to restore wandering believers. I find it very interesting that James would include this in his letter. It shows that he was genuinely concerned for the welfare of the people….he believed that a wandering believer was in danger of going to hell, and needed to be “rescued” before losing faith altogether. I suppose one of the marks of a true leader is the concern they have for those under them. In the military we always knew that it was “mission first” and “men always”.
Well there you have it. A whirlwind tour of James.
Do good, watch you mouth, be humble, watch your mouth, don’t be angry or selfish, watch your mouth, pray help others and…..watch your mouth.
I wonder what God is trying to say to me today, hmmm?
Faithfully,
PR