Be Opened -- A Message for September 5, 2021

 

James 2:1-17

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 

have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 

But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 

Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 

For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 

because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 

If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Here ends this reading of the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

            Every year, I read my way through the Bible at least once.  I am ahead of schedule and will probably be finishing up the book of Revelation this week.   Many of the events and situations that occurred during Bible times need historical and cultural context – you know, we can understand what we read when we learn about marriage traditions in the first century or how they planted crops in the Middle East two thousand years ago. We often have to do some background reading or studying to put scriptural events and references in context.

            But, this morning’s reading from James’ letter to the church is different. We could write this same letter to churches in the 21^st century. One of our sinful behaviors is something the people in the first century also did. We judge people. We make choices about how we treat people. And, we often treat people better if they look like they have more money. This was true in the 1^st century, this was true in the 10^th century, this was true in the 18^th century, and this is true in the 21^st century. We make negative assumptions about people when they look poor.  And, we want to associate with people who look like they have more money.

            In his letter, James emphasized the greatest commandment – we should Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And, we should ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  James reminded us that we shouldn’t show favoritism. We should treat everyone with love and respect. We shouldn’t elevate people higher than others because they have more money or because they are pretty or because their ancestors started our church or because they have a cool car….you know, all of the little things we think of as we judge people…..we shouldn’t judge….we shouldn’t treat people differently than each other….we should love our neighbor as ourselves, no matter who our “neighbor” is and what they have.

            James then gets into the crux of the issue – “Faith without works is dead.” We have heard this phrase bantered about our whole lives. If we claim to have faith in God and claim to have faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we must align our actions to our faith. It is essential that if we believe, we have to act like we believe.

            One of my favorite quotes about our faith comes from St. Theresa of Avalia. She wrote:

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

Jesus is not here on earth among us right now, as far as we know. So, we are Jesus’ living examples on earth. People are looking to us as representatives of Jesus. Therefore, we have to treat others as we think Jesus would treat them. We must treat others with kindness and respect. We shouldn’t elevate others are special or treat others as less-than. We must treat others with sympathy and compassion, and support people who are struggling.

            So, although our work as Christians is not easy, and our faith calls us to work against our most selfish instincts, we must strive to live our faith and put our faith in action. May we do so in love. Amen.