A HEART FOR THE HELPLESS

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27).

The socio-economic reality of the ancient world could be easily divided between oppressed and oppressor. You were either a cog within the machinery of oppression, or you were its victim. Among the oppressed, however, orphans and widows stood representative of the most vulnerable. These have always been near the heart of God (Ex. 22:22-23; Ps.68:5; Is.1:17) and, as such, were those with whom Jesus most closely identified (Mt.25:36-40). Having a heart for the helpless isn’t to be understood as an expression of love that, in our present generation, many have sought to redefine as an accommodation and acquiescence to the incessant whininess of the narcissistically self-consumed, or the politically motivated special interest groups, who create their own distress and trauma over such things as the failure of society to use appropriate gender pronouns. To “play along” with the madness of the delusional, for the sake of political correctness, is a pretentious and ignoble pursuit; stealing away the compassion and advocacy to which the truly impoverished are entitled under the royal law (2:8).

A PLEASURABLE DECEPTION

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

The word “deceives” was originally associated with enjoying oneself, and to living pleasurably. As such, the one who fails to bridle his tongue, has acted intentionally to satisfy the desires of his own heart; conceding to the emotions of the present conflict. It points back to 1:13-15, and the premise that you, alone, not God, determine the response to any circumstance. The refusal to bridle the tongue, while cloaking oneself in religion, is an idle, fruitless, powerless and, thus, worthless contribution to the justice, peace, and in-breaking of the kingdom that God’s people are to make known to the world.

A THINKING RELIGION

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26).

In the only other uses of the word in the New Testament, Acts 26:5 and Colossians 2:23, “religion” is viewed in a negative light. James, however, will use the word in a positive way, to contrast a religion that is true from that which is false. With his advocacy for justice, peace, and the witness of the faith community as a testimony of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God, James concern, as evidenced in 1:19-20, and 3:1-12, isn’t so much the recklessness of casual words as it is those expressions of speech connected to violent outbursts of anger; words counter to the nature and character of God. An unbridled tongue belongs to an unthinking person.

LIFE’S CAVEAT

“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” (James 4:14-15).

Common sense dictates that we plan ahead for the forthcoming, and very real, stages of life.  Thus, we plan our educational pursuits, our marriage, family, career path; even retirement must be thoughtfully calculated. Even so, James offers caveats that are equally sensible and should be remembered in our daily living—life is unpredictable, fleeting, and rests in the hands of God. In other words, don’t give so much thought to a day that may never come at the expense of the day you have been given.

GOT GRACE?

“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:19).

While Christianity in the West has, seemingly, evolved into a consumer enterprise and a faulty understanding that the church exists for the purpose of satisfying one’s personal preferences, the words of Jesus remind us that the life of faith isn’t just getting from God but, ultimately, culminates in giving an account of that which we have received from God. To have experienced God’s grace is to be commissioned into his service and purpose; it is to be converted from a consumer of selfish wanting to a producer of Kingdom fruit.

GOING FOR GOLD

“But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

In the 1984 Summer Olympic, Carl Lewis won four gold medals. Assured of the gold medal after his first long jump attempt, he was criticized for passing on remaining jumps that might have afforded him a world record. Lewis explained that instead of pursuing world records that would eventually be broken, his objective for the olympics was to win gold medals, which could never be taken away. Because the olympic trials had been more demanding than expected, he decided to conserve his energies for other events, and potential gold medals, which he, in fact, won. We must each make daily decisions as to how we might best use the time, energy, and resources of God’s provision. The difference between a life that is blessed and one that is not is determined by whether one is striving for the eternal or the temporal. Go for the gold!

ACTIVE BLESSEDNESS

“But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

A blessed existence, as described by both James, and Jesus (Mt. 5:3-11), unequivocally negates the name-it-and-claim-it, health, wealth, and prosperity gospel that characterizes a religion driven by consumeristic desires. Within the Beatitudes, and today’s text, the idea of blessedness isn’t a cherry-on-top future tense, but a state of being realized in the present tense, regardless of circumstance. The blessed (makarios) life is one fulfilled, and enriched with purpose, because it remains steadfastly faithful through even the most adverse trials, knowing that the redemptive purposes of God are being accomplished within us, bearing witness to the world of a greater redemption that is to come.

ACTIVE CONTINUATION

“But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25).

With the expectation of steadfast continuation in the life of faith, James is holding forth the teachings of Jesus, who said, “But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved” (Mt. 24:13). It is an endurance of faith highlighted not by a willingness to hear and acquire biblical knowledge, but a faithful obedience in the “doing” of the word. The life of faith, then, isn’t so much a cognitive exercise of belief as it is the active exercise of what we believe.

ACTIVE REFLECTION

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was” (James 1:23-24).

The particular word, translated as “looks,” denotes not a passing glance, but an attentive stare. For James, the “word implanted” (v.21) becomes the mirror through which we see ourselves. Thus, an attentive reflection upon the implanted word enables one to see not only shortcomings and failures, but untapped potential and unrealized possibilities; it bears the evidence of the image of God within each of us, a living an active reminder of who we are and what we should seek to reflect.

ACTIVE BELIEF

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves” (James 1:22).

That faith is to be objectively proved out should come as no surprise to James’ audience, reflecting the teachings of both Jesus (Mt.7:12-27, 25:31-46) and Paul (Romans 2:13). Even children in the schoolyard say, “Prove it,” to the subjective claims of a classmate. The proverbial statement, “Actions speak louder than words,” means “louder” in terms of honesty and clarity, not decibels. Because words can be too easily crafted, it is our actions that prove to be the most reliable indicators of our beliefs. Where the volume of our faith rhetoric does not align with a virtuous life, all credibility is lost. In a world that does not want to hear you speak of your faith, you can be certain that they will watch you in the living of your faith.