James 2:14-17

“If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” vss. 15-16

Many followers of Jesus are familiar with the slogans, “grace alone, faith alone, and scripture alone.” But they’ve probably never ever heard anyone say, “works alone!” It seems a contradictory phrase, one that doesn’t fit with the spirit of the Reformation, and yet that’s exactly what James is saying here. (Which is why Martin Luther would have preferred to leave the book of James out of the bible!) James had seen what people were doing in their congregations–to put it in another way, they talked the talk, but they didn’t walk the walk! And he’s right! Forget about proper theology and complex theories of atonement, if we’re not doing something about the physical needs of hurting people before we start preaching at them, we’ve missed the point of Jesus. God bless those congregations who work closely with social service organizations to help the broken and needy. God bless those politicians who put the poor at the top of their legislative agenda. God bless each of us when we gladly share our wealth with those who need it the most. If we don’t do all we can to meet the bodily needs of others, “what is the good of that”?James could not be more clear–and he too lived by grace!

Thought for the Day: What is at the top of most political agendas?

James 2:1-10

“My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ?” vs. 1

Not all was so lovey-dovey in those early Christian communities of faith as we sometimes think. James had noticed a disturbing tendency–leaders were catering to rich folks and doing all they could to make them feel at home. Special seats at worship were reserved for them, while the poor were made to stand in the rear. It may not seem like a big deal to some, we’ve gotten used to the favoritism that is shown to the rich, but for James it was a matter of faith. He questioned how people tilting toward the rich could even consider themselves Christian. It was just so antithetical to everything that Jesus had stood for. Some wonder the same thing now. The teachings of Jesus have gotten so twisted that they can scarcely be recognized. How can we even begin to think that he preached a message of financial prosperity for his followers? There’s no hint of that in the gospels at all, yet some preachers are not at all shy about making their pitch to the rich. Never has a person achieved sainthood in the eyes of the church by amassing a fortune! But countless persons are remembered and glorified because they gave their riches away and chose to live in poverty! There’s a lesson for us in that history–and faith is imperiled when we fail to learn it!

Thought for the Day: How are the poor welcomed in my congregation?

Psalm 146

“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.” vss. 3-4

The psalmist had been around the block a time or two and he knew better than to get caught up in the promises of religious or political leaders of any kind. He’d likely heard and seen it all, and understood the ebb and flow of power in his country. We’d do well to have that same nuanced attitude toward those who seek control. Our leaders make their promises and issue proclamations, and millions shout their approval, apparently believing all that they hear. And it’s all so futile! None of those leaders have the slightest notion about what will be! No one does! Obviously things are changing and life will be different in the future than it is now–but predictions, however reasoned they may seem, can only go so far. All that we know for sure is that the current crop of politicians and princes are going to die–none will make it to the next century. Very few will even be remembered! So the psalmist has a point. Why put our trust in any of them? The forces that determine the future of the universe are divine and dynamic, and they are in control.  And because that Divine Presence is the essence of goodness, the future we worry about is going to be just fine! All we need to do is hang on for the ride of our lives!

Thought for the Day: Where do I put my trust?

Isaiah 35:5-7a

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. vss. 5-6a

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were quite familiar with the law and the writings of the prophets and kept a look-out for signs of the Day of the Lord, the moment when God would act to bring salvation to Israel. And when Jesus began his ministry, many were particularly attentive to the reports of healings that had taken place in the towns and villages that he visited. Some remembered the forecasts of healings from the prophet Isaiah and wondered if Jesus might be more than the man from Nazareth. And after the resurrection when the gospel writers were putting together their stories of Jesus’ life they gave center stage to those healing miracles. They saw them as a kind of proof of Jesus’ divine credentials. That emphasis is an indication of our basic human conviction that healing is inextricably connected to the Divine Presence. God doesn’t bring illness and sickness into our lives, on the contrary God brings healing. In fact, in the New Testament, the words for “healing” “salvation” have the same root. At times the words are interchangeable. No wonder we have such a strong desire for healing in our lives–it’s what we pray for more than anything else. And when it comes we have no problem giving thanks and praise to God.

Thought for the Day: When do I pray for healing?

Isaiah 35:4

“Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.’” vs. 4

We’ve seen enough Hollywood movies to have a pretty good image of what the prophet is referring to here. In this scene we’re cowering in fear while dreaded enemies slowly advance on our position. And a voice shouts out, don’t be afraid, here is your God! And as our foes poise themselves to deliver their final fatal blows, our John Wayne-like God strikes them down with sword and fist. Heads go flying, blood spurts, bodies are tossed into the air, and when all is still, our God reaches out and hugs us close. And once again we’ve been violently rescued from the hands of the evil ones! This has been a common hope for humanity from the beginning, and most recently has been the inspiration for countless stories, books, and movies. We yearn for rescue when trouble comes near–and if our enemies can be humiliated and vanquished all the better! And while the scriptures do reflect that desire for vengeance, it can become problematic when we make it the center of our prayers. In fact, it flies in the face of Jesus’ teachings about non-violence and our relationship to our enemies. He says “Love your enemies,” not bash their heads into dust and stomp on their faces. God’s love extends even to those who we despise. That’s something to think about when our blood boils and we seek revenge!

Thought for the Day: Who would I like to see God humiliate?

Mark 7:14-15, 21-23

“Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’” vss. 14-15

Jesus is obviously not saying that we can eat pepperoni pizza, covered with cheese, every morning for breakfast and suffer no consequences. And he likely wasn’t familiar with what we call “clean eating” in the sense that we think of it. Rather he was targeting the traditions that had grown up around eating and drinking and that were then treated as laws. We’re susceptible to that thinking too. In fact there are many who have made food consumption their own personal religion. Now it’s not a bad thing to be concerned about our diets–and it’s fine to be a vegan or vegetarian or pescetarian. It’s when we begin to think that what we take into our bodies defines us as a person that we begin to get into trouble. And it’s here that we’d do well to pay attention to Jesus. He’s not concerned about consumption but he cares deeply about outcomes. It’s not what we eat or drink that’s important, it’s how we treat the people around us. We can have a perfect diet and eat the proper proportions of fats, carbs, and proteins, and still act like jerks. And some people in our communities of faith may have thunder thighs or beer bellies, but the light of Christ shines in their eyes–and there’s no way we can miss it.

Thought for the Day: When does diet become a religion?

Mark 7:1-8

“You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” vs. 8

Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees and their preoccupation with ritual and ceremony. He tells them that everything they considered so important, all the traditions they’d inherited from their ancestors–everything was purely human invention! Imagine the shock waves rippling through their community! Jesus was saying that all they held dear was rubbish, and that they had abandoned what really counted with God. Poor guys! No wonder they rose up against him and arranged for his crucifixion! We’d do well to pay attention to what Jesus told the Pharisees because too often we get caught up in the same kind of nonsense. When are we going to figure out that all of the things we put at the center of our faith, our rituals and sacraments, our creeds and confessions, our constitutions and administrative structures–all those things are nothing more than human invention?! This isn’t to say that they are bad! Indeed we’ve come up with some pretty good stuff through the centuries–but it’s not what counts with God. And what is the commandment of God that Jesus talks about here? What is important? He made it plain: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself! As Paul put it so well in his letter to the Corinthians, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”

Thought for the Day: If love is all that counts, why even have all that other stuff?

James 1:22-27

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” vs. 27

James cuts to the chase in his first century letter to believers. Already he was aware of those who used religion as a facade, as a societal means to improve their own standing. It’s nothing new! We know what he’s talking about–while about 70% of Americans claim to be Christian, only about 20% worship weekly. In fact, the majority of Americans never bother to worship at all. Yet we continue to claim we are a Christian nation! Of course, “going to church” hardly serves as a marker of an authentic follower of Jesus. What really counts for James is how well we care for widows and orphans in their distress–and being unstained by the world. He mentions widows and orphans because they were the ones who fell through the cracks in the economic system of his day. We could add others to the list. Times have not gotten any easier for the needy in the world. There are more refugees now than any other time in history. Millions are hungry and desperate for assistance. And true believers of all religions are in this world to provide care for them by any means possible: legislation, housing, refugee resettlement, hunger relief. And that is happening! James would be pleased to see what people of faith are doing–they’re doers of the word and not just hearers!

Thought for the Day: What’s my favorite relief organization? Why?

James 1:17-21

“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.” vss. 19-20 

The letter of James was written to congregations of early Christians who had an appreciation for Judaism and provides a different perspective from that of Paul. The writer begins his words of guidance with three basic principles for life in Christ. “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, (and) slow to anger.” Wow! It’s hard to think of any more sage, or obvious, advice for getting along with family and friends. Most will readily agree with James, but we have a devil of a time following through. And it’s the third element in what he says that has become most problematic. We know that listening is more important than speaking in communication, and it’s right to put an emphasis on it. But these last years have seen a real uptick in anger expression. Everywhere we look we see angry people! Over and over again we see scenes of shouting, enraged crowds demanding one thing or another. Our politicians are loud, angry, and arrogant, and it’s all filtered down into our exchanges with family and friends. We can’t even talk about the pandemic without getting angry! And what James says is true. Anger never produces God’s righteousness! Instead it feeds on itself, escalates, and ultimately results in alienation or estrangement. When we feel anger coming on, the best thing we can do is go back to listening–and continue the argument with our mouths shut!

Thought for the Day: How has anger impacted my life?

Psalm 15

“O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart…” vss. 1-2

According to this worship liturgy, there were strict standards for entry into the temple sanctuary on the hill of Zion in Jerusalem. Any who presumed to enter the house of the Lord had better be sure that they had their ducks in a row, that their lives were in order. Presumably, a priest asked the questions, and the people responded with a brief litany of what was expected. Congregations have developed similar standards as they reopened for worship in these last months. Who may enter for worship? Those who wear masks and maintain social distancing, and who have been properly vaccinated. And people have pretty much complied–we’ve seen that this is the prudent thing to do to avoid contagion. But just imagine if we posted signs saying, “Entry restricted to those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from the heart.” Most folks would turn on their heels and walk away. That’s simply not an appropriate message for congregations that proclaim the gospel of grace. The churches of Christ are not exclusive clubs for the perfect–we’re hospitals for sinners! We come with our imperfections to hear a word of mercy and forgiveness and to love one another in our weakness. It’s as we leave and go into the world that we take the psalmist’s words to heart. It’s here that we will walk blamelessly and speak the truth from our hearts.

 Thought for the Day: What happens in a hospital for sinners?