Here we see two main themes, one of which goes on to make up the core of this epistle. The first theme is the idea of equality among sinners. James calls us to treat each other as equals in a loving manner, not setting the rich as more important than the poor. Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture of the Gospel, we find this idea is aligned with what we see in other parts of the Gospel. For instance, we see in the Roman Road that "all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God". And that brings up a simple point:
Jesus died for All. All that had been, that were, and were yet to come.
This is a powerful statement and one that serves to humble us. In the grand scheme of eternity, we are all sinners in God's eyes and we all need the salvation offered by God. There is no other way. To think differently is to be prideful and unrealistic.
So what does this philosophy mean? Well, one practical implication is what James presents here. We are called to love each other equally regardless of wealth, looks, intelligence, past actions, etc. I would like to point out that loving our brothers and sisters is different than putting ourselves in inappropriate or harmful situations. A second implication of this is what we see in the end of this chapter: That our faith, our acceptance of the salvation offered by Jesus, is transforming and should have an outward manifestation. I think it would be wise to reflect on this over the next few days and to see if I find evidence in my life of an outward change.
I like the way you phrased the outward actions of our Faith as 'implications' of our salvation - I feel like the root of all of our shortcomings is a lack of reliance on the Gospel. And that out of that obedience to Christ we will live the changed lives that James is talking about here. So Good. This idea of equality is interesting, because if we are living like Jesus then would we even register that people are poor or rich we would only see people to love? I dont know just a thought.
ReplyDeleteOn a side the idea of liar, lunatic or LORD has been on my mind alot recently. Either Christ is a liar and a blasphemer or he is our Savior - there is not a middle ground and that leaves us no room to be lukewarm at all. Just a though that has been rocking me - i guess not too much or i would have remembered to bring it up at dinner.
This is one section of scripture that underscores a point that fills me with awe and wonder: that there is no depth to which God will not go to save people.
ReplyDelete"Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you... does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?" There is a tendency of a lot of people to think that the Bible calls us only to save souls, and that a person's spiritual needs are all that need to be met in order to carry out Jesus' commands. This clearly shows that the poor and marginalized deserve our help in meeting their physical needs as well. God has blessed me with opportunities to buy homeless people food and have conversations with them in which I feel His Spirit present. It's something I hope to do more.