James 2:14-17

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?… So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” vss. 14, 17

It was because of verses like this that Martin Luther despised the book of James. He considered it an “epistle of straw” and wished that it had not been included in the New Testament. Luther had been driven to despair by his conviction that his works were not sufficient for salvation, and had found peace only when he realized that righteousness came through faith, and was his by grace. That was a remarkable insight and Lutherans in particular have clung tenaciously to his understanding. But James had a perspective that had come through observation and he had seen first hand how some religious people, claiming to have faith, had failed miserably in reaching out to the poor and the hungry. He concluded that if they didn’t have works, they must not have had any faith–and we can’t argue with his logic. And even though Lutherans continue to relish their legacy of grace, most have come to agree with James. Our pious statements of faith turn stagnant and impotent unless they are accompanied by a vigorous mission to reach out to the needy and the downtrodden, and then treat them with all the respect and dignity they deserve as precious and beloved children of God.

Thought for the Day: What would James think of my congregation?

James 2:1-4

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

James evidently was fed up with the behavior of the believers in his  congregations–and he doesn’t mince words. Because of their acts of favoritism he questions whether they really believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what is it that they’ve been doing? It has to do with their reception of visitors. If a person with fine clothes and gold rings comes into their assembly, they are greeted with respect and shown to the finest seat. Likewise, if a poor person in dirty clothes wanders in, they are treated with disdain and told to sit on the floor or stand against the side wall. Amazing isn’t it, that James observed such nonsense in a first century congregation! The same thing happens among us, only we’ve learned to be more subtle! We mostly just ignore the poor people with their dirty clothes–they can sit where they want, preferably toward the back. And we’ve figured out ways to make our appreciation for the rich more behind the scenes. Oh we do like for them to have comfortable seating with good sight lines, but the pampering takes place in the attention they get from the clergy and congregational leaders. They get the warm greetings and personal visits! And James says that when we make such distinctions we’re not practicing what we preach! And he’s absolutely right!

Thought for the Day: How do I treat rich and poor people differently?

Psalm 146:5-10

“Happy are those whose hope is in the Lord, who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry, and sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind, he lifts up those who are bowed down; The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow.” vss. 5,7, 8a, 9a

When the psalmist warned his readers not to trust mortal rulers and to put their hope in God, he went on to outline what the Lord’s platform for life in his kingdom would look like. As we read through the planks we see that Jesus was obviously familiar with God’s plan–these are things he talked about regularly. And they’re ideas that have not gone out of date! For those wondering how to use their time during the current campaign, it’s an interesting exercise to see how God’s platform matches up with that of the political parties. There was no doubt where Jesus stood on any of these items. It would seem logical that candidates claiming to be lovers of God would stand for the same things. Of course there’s more to running this country than what the psalmist mentioned–there are a myriad of things to be concerned about, e.g. matters of the economy, defense, and the environment. But the things Jesus talked about, what could be called the social gospel, would provide an underlying spirit of compassion, and attention to these things are what really make a country great.

Thought for the Day: How can we tell whether politicians love God? 

Psalm 146:1-4

“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

In the middle of a hard-fought election campaign it’s easy to get caught up in the drama and hyperbole of the contrasting candidates. Our passions are excited by the hyperbole, dualistic thinking paralyzes our brains, and we begin to think that everything depends on what happens at the polls. Obviously there are differences among those running for offices, and it’s very natural to develop strong preferences. Some will even be convinced that disaster is looming if the wrong person wins. Now it is true that every election has short-term consequences that can make huge differences in public policy, but it would be helpful for all voters to remember the words of the psalmist. “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 day their plans perish.” If we live long enough we can understand the truth of that scripture. In our country we’ve chosen some leaders who reeked with incompetence, and some who were spectacular. In every case, with the passage of time, we can scarcely remember their names. While it’s important to participate in elections in our democracy, our final trust is best reserved for the Lord and Giver of life, in whom all things have their beginnings and endings.

Thought for the Day: What passions is this campaign raising in me?

Isaiah 35:4-7a

“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

Isaiah had been called to bring the word of the Lord to a frightened nation. Enemies threatened on every side. Assyria had ravaged Israel and carried its people into captivity and now Babylon was a threat to the east. The king of Judah was little more than a puppet ruler and powerful neighbors were demanding tribute. And the citizens were suffering; many were very afraid of the future. And to them Isaiah brought a word of hope, imploring them to be strong and not to fear. He told them that their God was near and would come to save them. In fact the Lord “would come with vengeance, and with terrible recompense.” It’s likely that the people of Judah loved that message–it’s certainly what we like to hear. Deep in our hearts there is a desire that someday God will come and clean house. But that’s not what Isaiah had in mind. Instead he paints a picture of a compassionate God who will bring healing and restoration. “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.” It’s because God is full of compassion and steadfast love that we can live without fear!

Thought for the Day: What’s it like to have a fearful heart?

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

So what is it that is the measure of a person? Is it their golf handicap? Or maybe it’s their appearance, whether they have tattoos or piercings–or perhaps it’s their diet, whether they are careful about what they eat or drink? Whether we like it or not, most folks rely on externals in appraising another person’s character. Through lifetime experiences and personal prejudices we tend to develop an extensive list of characteristics to use in making judgments about others. Even things like gender and skin color get factored into the mix. And Jesus tells us that none of those externals can tell us a thing about the soul or spirit of a person! What is the measure of a person? It’s the things that come out of them–these are the only accurate indicators. But too often people don’t get a second chance with us. For some reason we are strangely confident in our ability to use externals, and snap judgements are common. How good it is when we can lay aside our prejudices and learn to take time with others! We aren’t always right in our initial analysis. Often we’re dead wrong, and the people we’ve written off become choice friends.

Thought for the Day: How do I measure the worth of another person?

Mark 7:1-8

“So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” 

The Law had been a great gift to the Jewish people but it was broken! While it had initially been designed to keep the people on the path of righteousness, it quickly got out of hand. What had been a brief set of commandments turned into an overwhelming mass of traditions and regulations that became an end in itself. The initial Ten Words became 613 statutes governing every aspect of human behavior. And that was just a start! The intention had been to protect the Law by setting up a hedge around it–the rabbis didn’t want anyone to accidentally become unclean so they codified everything. Jesus was an observant Jew, but he believed that loving God and loving neighbor was more important than anything else, and from his perspective the Law had become a burden. As his followers we know how quickly petty legalisms can take over our lives. When life gets unruly and the people in our lives aren’t living as we think they ought, it is so tempting to get back in control by “laying down the law.” We think the rules will be a temporary and quick fix, but it isn’t long before they displace the gospel of grace. What a blessing it is to walk in the way of the Lord and not worry about following the rules!

Thought for the Day: When is it important to have rules?

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

Many people have come to faith in congregations that put a huge premium on matters of theology and dogma. Generally the pastors and teachers who lead those congregations have learned in seminary that pure doctrine is of the utmost importance. They’ve spent years honing arguments that use logic and scripture to define and refine the Truth of the Gospel, and they rigidly maintain those standards in their preaching and teaching. James was likely familiar with such teachers and he presented to his readers a different blueprint for purity and holiness in the Church.  He doesn’t seem to have cared much for closely defined theological principles. Instead he put forward what some have disdainfully dismissed as the “social gospel.” Everything, James says, rests on how well a congregation cares for orphans and widows in their distress–we can assume he would be okay with expanding that caring to include refugees, asylum seekers, the homeless, and any needy folks. Oh, and then he adjures the congregants to keep themselves unstained by the world. Ethics and morality are key ingredients of a God-pleasing life. As we care for others, our own behavior matters! What we do and what we say are likely even more important than what we believe!

Thought for the Day: How important is doctrinal purity in my congregation?

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

Even though Martin Luther considered James to be an epistle of straw because of its insistence on works, we should be grateful that his words are included in our scriptures. The relevance of what he had to say to his readers is readily apparent, especially in this time of partisan bickering and the resulting fragmented relationships. All around we see folks with built-in agendas who aren’t the least bit interested in what others might want to say to them. When we become involved in a political or religious conversation with such a person, and we feel heat rising within, the best thing we can do is slow down and listen, and then say, “Thank you! I value your insights and your friendship.” It may be that your friend will then ask you for your ideas, but even if that doesn’t happen, it never hurts to allow others to have the last word. And it may even be that the friendship can be maintained. James had his finger on the pulse of social intercourse and knew that becoming angry never yields a positive outcome, even in those rare instances when we know what we’re talking about. And given the importance of community in Christ-centered living, we’ll do all we can to keep the spirit of unity alive and well.

Thought for the Day: What do I do when I become angry in a conversation?

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

The question asked by the psalmist was enormously important for the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They revered the Law of Moses and believed wholeheartedly that only those who were perfectly obedient were welcome in the temple of the Lord. The righteous were those who walked blamelessly by keeping every law, and they certainly spoke the truth in all their interactions. Their division of people into two different groups is familiar to us, and even those who are followers of Jesus are likely to have lists of such people written on their hearts.  It’s just such an easy way of keeping track of who’s naughty and who’s nice! We might not use the same standards as the folks in Jerusalem but we have our own rules too, and they’re equally rigid.  And we know all the “tells”! Even walking through the mall on a hot summer Sunday afternoon we can easily spot those on the “sinner” list. The problem is that Jesus paid no attention to the lists drawn up by the religious people, and he still doesn’t. He loves sinners and brings healing to the broken. For him walking blamelessly would be to embrace the hurting and to care for the outcasts. And of course he wants us to speak the truth from our hearts. There are some things that just never go out of style for the people of God.

Thought for the Day: Who is on my “naughty” list?