Bible 204:  James Part 2

James 2

 

RECAP OF JAMES

We began a new “semester” in our ongoing study of the Bible

This one could be called a mini-mester > five-week series on the Letter of James

Who wrote James?

      This letter was very likely written by James the brother of Jesus

      If so, probably 30 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection > about 60 or so

      Is Jesus’ brother the only possible author?

            No.  Many others could have written it

            There is no decisive way to know who wrote it or when it was written

      Should we ignore its content, then?

            “No” to that question, too!

            By time Church had decided what was in and what was out > James was in

            What James had to say was important then > and it is important now

Who did James write to, and why?

      James is writing to a typical congregation

            Congregation where Murphy’s Law has taken over > “whatever can go wrong will go wrong”

            Eugene Peterson (The Message) says congregations are like hospitals

                        Hospitals > full of sick people being healed and making lifestyle changes to stay well

                        Church > full of sinners being forgiven and making lifestyle changes to stay whole

            So James diagnoses and treats areas of misbelief and misbehavior in his congregations

            He wants them to develop into mature Christians

What’s a good metaphor for James concern?

            I told you last Sunday about Westerhoff’s metaphor of faith development

            For him, faith has expansion rings like a tree has growth rings

                        First is experienced faith > feeling the love; hearing the story of Jesus

                        Second > affiliative faith > participating with others of like faith

                        Third > searching faith > asking questions about the faith we were taught

                        Fourth > owned faith > knowing what you believe > will withstand onslaughts

 

RECAP OF CHAPTER 1

In his own way, James is encouraging expanding faith

      And in the first chapter it wants the congregation to stand fast and pay attention

            “stand fast” through their tests and challenges > their faith will get them through

            “pay attention” to what is going on > respond accordingly > add action to their faith

 

CHAPTER 2

Now we come to Chapter 2

      Remember that these chapter divisions are a much later phenomenon

            James intended that the whole letter be read at one time

            So we are forced into a bit of artificiality   

In this Chapter James reinforces the lifestyle change he wants Christians

      Apparently they have only given “lip service” to their faith

      To get a running start into what he says in Chapter 2 > I need to begin with last 1:26

Read 1:26-2:26     

It seems so obvious that coupling faith and works is the way to live

      But the evidence has been and continues to be otherwise

      Luke Johnson writes: “There is something deep inside humans which leads them to presume . .

            . . that knowing the right truth or holding the right position is enough.” (Interp. Bible XII p. 199)

      He’s right: When we assume that having the right belief is all we need > we stop there

            We tend to lives two lives

            We stand up in worship and affirm our faith > “say what we believe”

                        And then walk out these doors and act as if Jesus’ life and death made no difference

            James wants us to be like the businessman who was once asked, “What’s your occupation”

                                    “I am a Christian,” was his reply.

                                    “No, no, what’s your job?”

                                    “I told you; I’m a Christian.”

                                    “You don’t understand!  What do you do for a living?”

                                    “No, you don’t understand! My full-time job is to be a Christian.

                                                However, to pay the bills I work for the telephone company.”

      That’s the kind of story James wants people to tell about us                                 

            Being a Christian is our occupation > saying we are Christian identifies us with Christ

            We are to work like a Christian every day > SMTWTFS

     

For a good many of us, putting our faith into action sounds pretty heavy, doesn’t it?  HARD work

Lest you think that the “works” of faith are drudgery, listen to this rhyme about “The Great Guest”

 

It happened one day at the year’s white end—

Two neighbors called on their old-time friend;

And they found the shop, so meager and mean,

Made merry with a hundred boughs of green.

Conrad, the cobbler, was stitching, his face ashine,

But suddenly stopped as he twitched a twine;

“Old friends, good news!  At dawn today,

As the roosters were scaring the night away,

The Lord appeared in a dream to me,

And said, “I am coming your Guest to be!”

So I’ve been busy with feet astir

Strewing the floor with branches of fir.

The wall is washed and the shelf is shined,

And over the rafter the holly twined.

He comes today, and the table is spread

With milk and honey and wheaten bread!

 

His friends went home; and his face grew still

As he watched for the shadow across the sill.

He lived all the moments o’er and o’er,

When the Lord should enter the lowly door-

The knock, the call, the latch pulled up,

The lighted face, the offered cup.

He would wash the feet where the spikes had been,

He would kiss the hands where the nails went in,

And then at the last would sit with Him

And break the bread as the day grew dim.

 

While the cobbler mused, there passed his pane

A beggar drenched by the driving rain.

He called him in from the stony street

And gave him shoes for his bruised feet.

The beggar went and there came a crone,

Her face with wrinkles of sorrow sewn.

A bundle of coal bowed her back,

And she was spent with the wrench and rack.

He gave her his loaf and steadied her load

As she took her way on the weary road.

Then to his door came a little child,

Lost and afraid in the world so wild,

In the big, hard world.  Catching her up

He gave her the milk in the waiting cup.

And led her home to her mother’s arms,

Out of the reach of the world’s alarms.

 

The day went down in the crimson west,

And with it the hope of the blessed Guest,

And Conrad signed as the world turned gray:

“Why is it, Lord, that your feet delay?

Did you forget that this was the day?”

Then soft in the silence a voice he heard:

“Lift up your heart, for I kept my word.

Three times I came to your friendly door;

Three times my shadow was on your floor.

I was the beggar with bruised feet;

I was the old woman you gave food to eat;

I was the child on the nameless street.”

 

The old cobbler had faith > he did not give up

And while he was waiting, he paid attention

 

Sometime this week, Jesus will come to every one of us

      In the person of one who has less than we do > someone who needs our help

When it happens, that will be the perfect opportunity to put our faith into action!