Living Like People Who Have Enough

 

We are finishing up the Letter of James today. Three sections in this final chapter. 
As we have begun this season of Lent, we want to be attentive to the themes and ideas that give us inspiration toward what we can give up and leave behind as we seek to follow Jesus. You'll notice that the first section sounds as if James is finishing up his thoughts from the last couple of chapters. The middle section makes connection with where his letter began, thinking about persecution and trials, and gives coverage and connection to all that he has discussed in his letter. Finally, he touches on something that we have seen quoted and used over and over again in the church. Healing. Maybe we will spend some time today with anyone who needs a moment to share in prayer as we lift up the needs and cares of our own. Maybe even those who are not present with us today. 

Where we see James beginning is with a thought he has been pushing for a bit. How we handle ourselves when we find our world full of plenty will say much about our attitude. There were those in his time who had plenty. In the eyes of the One whose Kingdom we are working towards building, any attempt to take care of the needs of those less fortunate is a huge gesture. Let hear what James has to say exactly. 

Paul and James use similar items to describe what it means to be at work in this Kingdom. Yet, the use them to different descriptions and for different means. When Paul was talking with his Corinthians audience about building something of themselves that would withstand the Judgment. Paul, in the 3rd chapter, speaks to the need for costly stones, gold and silver, as items that would be great for building on the foundation of Jesus Christ. However, James takes those similar ideas and focuses on the monetary value. He thinks of people who get lost in their wealth, gold and silver, and how it affects their outlook on life. The point here is not to get lost in the illustrations. The truth that is being shared beneath the surface of the illustration is where we want to be. These items - stone, gold, silver, they do have great value. They can be used for building. Think about what we can be building and doing for

God in this Kingdom. It does not mean we should be using these exact material - gold, stone, silver. These items are used in the illustration to give life to the idea that what we put into this work with God is truly what matters. Wood, hay and straw - Those items will get burned up easily as the judgements of life and the harshness of people come at it. Ultimately, God will judge us all. What kind of elements will stand up under the fire of Judgment? Paul is clear that the items we need to put our best into this and be frivolous. James sounds like he is going in a different direction. But as we have seen, these two church fathers are usually going to similar places in their thoughts, just using different illustrations to get there. 

James would say that his readers have coinage that look like this. "Your gold and silver are corroded." (v3) Instead of the gold and silver being building materials here, he wants to say that the money speaks with testimony as to what we have done and how we have done it. "Their corrosion testify against you." Here we are back at a picture of judgment again. Paul says to use choice materials to build on this foundation of Jesus Christ. What happens when the materials themselves become a point of worship and attention? This building we are sitting in today is very beautiful. It is well put together and much thought was given to it's structure. But, is it about the building? Is it about this place? Or, is it about the One whom this place is meant to lift up? James is saying to his audience that they are trusting more in their wealth and possessions than they are in following Jesus. Let us learn how to put our trust and faith in the One leading us instead of finding security in an abundance of wealth and items that make us happy. 

James cycles back to the beginning where he began speaking. The church is under persecution. Suffering is what anyone should expect when living in a world where people do not agree on who to worship and who to lift up as King and Lord. The Romans have made life hard on the Israelite people. This kind of life has been going on since older times. James would site the prophets who spoke for the Lord and were not well received. He points to Job as someone who continued to carry on through hardship. Yet this we know - "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Listen to James.

None of us are outside of the realm of hardship right now. Whether out matters be circumstantial or whether we are in actual conflict with another person, it seems to be harder and harder to not find ourselves in some sort of conflict. Political, environmental, even spiritual and religious. Something new seems to pop up every week that demands that we choose a side and fight. Some person wants to argue about Israel or something Trump said or whether the Browns are going to win the Super Bowl next year. (That probably won't happen.) Especially for the Cleveland fan, it especially heart warming to know that, at least, "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." 

And, here we are wrapping up our time in James?
Some might think the way he ends the letter to be strange or that it just doesn't fit with everything else he has said. But, take some time to read it. A couple of times if you would. It really is a fitting place to be ending all his discussion about persecutions and hard times, about needing to hold out tongue and finding wisdom to know just how to follow Christ. What we need is prayer. We need healing. We need to confess our sins to one another so that we can find the healing we need in our relationships. We don't find righteousness in success or the amount of our wealth. We certainly don't find righteousness in how much we dominate a conversation with our tongue or have the ability to shame someone else. Look back across James' letter and see all the way where we do not find the righteousness and holiness we should be standing in. The little brother of Jesus saves it for the end. 

Was James present for anything that might have happened during the ministry of Jesus?
He certainly wasn't there on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus took James and John (the brothers) and Peter with him that day. I'm very sure he heard about it. So, it's interesting that Elijah is someone he would reference for a point of instruction and liken all of us to the prophet. Elijah, thought of so high and mighty, along with Moses, meet with Jesus on the Mount. Yet, James brings him down to us and says that he was "a human being, even as we are." Elijah prays. He asks. Just like we do. The Lord listened. Just like we hope he does for us. 

All of us have wandered. All of us need to come back. 
We all need healing. I'm wondering if I could pray with any of you today.

During our final hymn, if you want to do that, come on down. 

Blessings

Jeremy