Scripture: James 1:16-27
Earlier this month Lifeway Research released the results of a survey they did to assess how knowledgeable churchgoers were on the Old Testament. To do this they asked a series of questions where the respondents were asked how accurately they could describe specific stories found in the Old Testament. The story that people felt the most confident about was the story of David and Goliath which 74% believed they could describe accurately, with few errors, or give a basic overview. The stories of the sacrifice of Isaac, Jonah and the big fish, and Daniel in the lion’s den also all had 63% report some degree of confidence. There was a lot less confidence in other stories. For instance, only 25% said they could tell the story of Romulus and Remus from the bible in some capacity. The problem is that this is a control question, and the story of Romulus and Remus is not actually in the bible. Only 40% of respondents correctly stated they believed this was not a bible story. These results led the researchers to conclude that American Christians might be overconfident in their knowledge of the Old Testament. This backs up the Barna research group findings as well. They regularly do a survey to test biblical literacy, and each time their findings are consistent which is many Americans have a positive view of the bible and own one, but they rarely read it. When I read about studies like this most recent one from Lifeway Research, I am struck by an odd juxtaposition. For the past several years study after study has shown that collectively, we could do a better job at knowing what the bible actually says. Yet at the same time, the idea of “the bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it” is still a common viewpoint. Yet the research has shown that statistically some of the people who claim this viewpoint, don’t actually know what the bible says. Which kind of feels like a person who looks at themselves in the mirror, and as soon as they go away forget what they look like. This morning’s scripture was meant to challenge its original audience, and I think it is still one that should challenge us today. This scripture is one that should lead us to examine ourselves and stare in the proverbial mirror. Instead of forgetting what we see this scripture should move us to go forward with changed hearts. The book of James is an interesting one in the bible. When it comes to its origins, author, and even composition it is one that there is a surprising lack of agreement on. While the details might vary, there is general agreement that James is different than the letters of Paul found in the bible. Those letters tend to be addressed to specific churches and often about specific issues. James was not written to a specific church, but likely was written with the intent to distribute among a wider area. Many biblical scholars consider James to be an example of ancient wisdom literature. James is a collection of thoughts about what moral and Godly behavior looks like. In other words, James is all about how to act right. James does not get too concerned with theory and poetic language of the heavenly realm; it is all concerned with how we attempt to live a God honoring life in our present reality. Despite being concerned with practical matters, James is still a book that has been somewhat contentious and has long been a subject of debate among biblical scholars. We can find ourselves getting into the thick of it fairly quickly with this morning’s scripture. From this morning’s scripture reading, I think that verse 22, “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” In our modern-day church language we have been conditioned to automatically equate word with the Bible. Yet, that cannot be what the author is referring to, because the bible had not been compiled and some parts of it potentially not even written. The author of James is not referring to a specific book. Verse 18 refers to the world of truth as a gift from God, and verse 21 mentions the world planted within you. So the word in James, is not a specific book, because it is something much more personal that has been internalized. The word is the gospel message, that leads to faith. The word is that which has opened our eyes to Christ and changed our hearts. We of course find that gospel message in the Bible. However, it is our far too simple to read a scripture like this morning’s and assume the word automatically equals the bible. Because the word is the gospel, the truth of God, that has the ability to connect us to God. This is why the gospel of John begins with “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” There the Word is clearly not just the bible; it is Christ himself. For the word to be the word, it must be felt, it must draw us closer to God, and drive us to a faith in Christ. Of course, the bible can do this. I like how our United Methodist doctrinal statements puts it and defines the bible as “containing all things necessary for salvation.” The word is the way in which the message of salvation we receive can change us, the word is not just what is written on a page. We find the same idea elsewhere in the bible such as Hebrews 4:12 which states, “For the word of God is alive and active.” The word is the received truth that continues to work in our lives. The word transforms us from within. The reason why solely equating the bible with the idea of the word, is because the bible can be used to force compliance from without not transformation from within. Far too many times the phrase “The bible says” has been wielded as a club to try and beat people in line or condemn some kind of non-conformity. The bible can and perhaps should function as the word of truth in our lives, but that word of truth is meant to transform us, not be an understanding that we force on and insist others to conform to. The bible should not be used to force others into compliance but rather it should open our eyes to being more Christlike and change our hearts. As we consider how the word of truth does this in our lives, I think this morning’s scripture is particularly illuminating in a couple of ways. First, we find verse 21 which states “Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” This verse is a good example of how the bible has been used as a club. Depending on the decade and century moral filth can be video games, or comic books, or any kind of music, or all dancing, or even bowling. This verse does not actually define any of those things or anything as moral filth, but that has not stopped others from deciding what should qualify and then haughtily proclaim, “well, the bible says. . .” This verse though is not meant to create a rules list, it is meant to cause introspection. This should cause us to ask, “what in my life is influencing more than the good news?” No one exists as an island on their own, we always have influences that shape us and speak to who we understand ourselves to be. The moral filth of this scripture is anything that personally pulls us away from Christ. It is any voice that has more influence over us than Jesus Christ, the true Word of God. The message of Jesus, the gospel of salvation, and the good news of grace that many of us find in the bible should be the loudest word that forms our identity. As this morning’s scripture states the word is planted within us, and thus grows out of us. The word of truth, the gospel that saves us should begin to define us. Our identity, who we understand ourselves to be, should be rooted in Christ. One the primary ways we should understand ourselves is as someone who has been saved by faith in Christ alone. This is what the analogy of a person who looks in the mirror and does not see themselves is all about. Our faith is not like a jacket that we only put on when the weather gets a little rough or cold. Our faith is meant to be a defining characteristic of who we are. If our faith does not influence every aspect of our lives, it is like forgetting what we look like. This leads right into the second way this scripture points to how the word of truth transforms our lives. If the good news of Jesus is central to who we understand ourselves to be, then that good news should influence our actions. Faith is not just hearing the word, it is doing the word. Verse 27 of this morning’s scripture gives guidance as to what it means to “do the word” where it states, “Religious that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” In the patriarchal culture of the first century, the orphans and the widows were the most disadvantaged and most vulnerable of their society. To help the orphans and widows is an act of mercy and grace. It is giving of oneself for the sake of giving to help another. Giving selflessly for others is doing the gospel, because that is exactly what Jesus did for us. As we will proclaim in the Communion liturgy in moments, Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. That proves God’s love for us. We do not deserve eternal life, we have not earned forgiveness. All of this is a good and perfect gift from the Father who does not change like shifting shadows. All of this is a gift without price. Christ is a gift freely given out of love. That is the heart of the good news, and that is the basis of the gospel we proclaim. That is the word of truth, so when we actively give of ourselves, we are living out that truth. When we take the time to protect those who are most vulnerable, then we are living out the gospel. When we intentionally meet the needs of someone else, with love being our primary motive, then we are the good news. The word is more than just the bible, it is the truth that transforms our hearts and the word is an action that we do out of love. There will always be voices out that will proclaim “the bible says” and use that as a platform to push what they think other people should be doing. This morning’s scripture gives us a different option, we can also proclaim “the bible says”, but instead of using words may we use actions. May we communicate what the bible says about grace and love by how we notice others, by how we have compassion for others, and by how we do the work of serving others, especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our society. May we communicate what the bible says by living a life that is actively being transformed, as we seek to gird of all that pulls us away from God and we let Christ be center to our identity. May the word of truth, the perfect gift from God, define us as we strive to be doers of the word so that we may better make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of this world.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
February 2025
Categories |