Faith Without Works Dies
James 2:1-17
James says there are problems in the church. There is no beating around the bush here. Always the practical one, he gets right to the point…Favoritism is the issue. He’s got a point you know. We’ve all seen this kind of thing before. A person with gold rings and fine clothes walks in and we ask them to come and sit beside us. But when someone in dirty clothes comes in, they are kind of smelly and don’t give off the right impression, we ask them to go stand over there or to sit at our feet…but just not too close to our feet. James is very direct. Seems like he’s not too worried about stepping on toes.
James gets to the central issue of the behavior of the community and ties it back to Jesus’ teaching of the greatest commandment to love God with your entire being and your neighbor as yourself. The writer uses this issue because he wants the community to remember that God honors the poor even as they have dishonored the poor (v. 6). It is a challenging message. But that is how James tends to work. He’s not so interested in doctrinal issues as he is interested in practical matters of how the community lives out their faith.
Even as says there is a problem in the church, he also reminds the people that there is a solution. He says to them, “Faith without works dies, but faith with works thrives.”
Reflection Questions:
Think of a time when you met a person whose socio-economic condition was greatly different from your own. How did you feel? How would it feel if your positions were reversed?
What actions might you take to express your faith as you now understand it?
In what ways might your faith grow if you take those actions?