For the rest of the week, we’ll turn to the letter of James. Unlike Paul’s epistles, usually addressed to specific people or communities, about matters of concern, confusion or conflict, the letter attributed to James is more of a general exhortation on how Christ-followers are to live. He responds to problems he sees emerging in the early church, and offers correction. Because the author of James (who may or may not have been the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church) is so concerned with behavior, not only belief, the letter has been judged by some to be legalistic, too short on grace and mercy.
Yet James is strong on mercy for the poor and those on the margins; he reserves his condemnation for the wealthy, the hypocritical, those who pay lip service to the demands of the gospel but fail to live its principles. There are many nuggets for us in this letter, so as it comes up in our lectionary this season, let’s have a look.
As Paul does in Ephesians, James begins by praising the generosity of God, the “Father of lights,” whose gift to us is the ground of all giving. Like Paul, he speaks of God’s purpose being fulfilled in those who believe in Jesus, likening the early community to the “first fruits” of God’s harvest:
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
James emphasizes that this gift of God’s grace must be expressed in the way we live, especially in our interactions. His counsel is one we might all hang on our refrigerators as we start our day: “Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.”
What a world we would have if more lived by that precept! Anger is often a natural response to provocation; we need to become aware when we feel it, try to locate its source and pray that out. We don’t need to feel entitled to express it around other people – or on social media. And being quicker to listen than to speak would also improve the quality of discourse around us.
I love the phrase James offers to help us move out of angry reactivity into grounded proactivity:
“Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”
Having rid ourselves “of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness,” we turn to the Word who dwells within, the Spirit of Christ who takes up residence in us at baptism and lives with us through everything we face. This Word is not just hanging out – he has been implanted in us by the Father of lights, in whom there is no change or shadow. Just dwell on that awhile.
How does it change the way we live to know that the Word of God has been implanted in us? How does it change the way we talk to other people? How does it change the way we regard ourselves? There’s no room for self-condemnation or shame when we’re aware that the Word of God lives in us. The more that awareness grows, the more we become like Paul, who said, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
And I guess the next time we're filling out a medical history and are asked if we have any implants, we’ll have to say yes!
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