Several years ago a phrase became popular in Christian circles: "Don't just talk the talk; walk the walk". As so often happens, phrases get overused and, thus, become a bit cliche. However, I think James would agree with this one. His challenges center around the reality of "doing" what you say you believe.
James has confronted us in so many areas of our lives. Think through some of them with me, and then add your own.
He challenges our use of speech. Is your word truly trustworthy? Do you mean what you say and say what you mean? As we focus there, all forms of manipulative language will have to go. Dishonesty has to go. Harsh words that are hurtful have to go. Talking too much and never listening has to go. What we say matters ... and how we say it matters. James tells us to "grow up" in relationship to our language.
He challenges us in the area of religion. He reminds us that it really is not about ritual and form ... it is about compassion, about love, about commitment to our Lord. James tells us to "grow up" in the way we think about religion.
He challenges us to examine our faith. Does it "do" anything - or is it all talk? Faith that is not visible is no faith at all. It is no better than that of the demons, in fact. James tells us to "grow up" in the way we view our faith.
He challenges us in regard to our use of money. James warns us about wealth. He warns us about favoritism and preferring those who have much over those who have little. He advocates generosity and fair, equitable treatment of others. He shares his heart (which is the Lord's heart) toward the poor and the disenfranchised of the world. James tells us to "grow up" in the way we think about and use money.
He challenges us in the area of trials and temptation - sin and struggle. James wants us to know the source of temptation - and it is not God! He rebukes us when we make excuses for sin - or when we rationalize ungodly behaviors in our own lives. James tells us to "grow up".
He calls us into true community as believers - not any kind of pseudo community that is nothing more than a name on a membership list. Life together - looking after and caring for one another - helping and praying for one another. That requires involvement. James tells us to "grow up" as members of the family of God.
Which of his themes were most important to you? I would love to hear!
Did you notice how often James' words reflected words from Jesus? He wasn't actually quoting Jesus ... but the principles and the thoughts that Jesus had spoken seemed to surface in every theme in James' letter. That lets us know that the principles of Christ were such a part of James' mind and frame of reference that they just kept spilling out. They had become a part of his own mind. Oh how I long for that to be true of me! Are we staying in the Word of God, in the gospels, in the words of Jesus so that they will become an integral part of our own thinking? That would reflect wisdom, true wisdom from above ... ask God for it.
We have no record of James, the brother of Jesus, believing in Jesus as Son of God until after the resurrection. But by the time the little band of believers were meeting together after Jesus' death and resurrection, his conversion had come to be - the transformation had begun. And James, the skeptic, the unbeliever became James the Just. James joined Peter and John to become the 3 pillars of the early Jerusalem church. And as persecution erupted all over the Roman empire against Christians, that Jerusalem church suffered much. Our James remained a faithful rock ... a leader ... a fully committed follower of Jesus, the Christ.
Early tradition tells us that James died a martyr's death. The Jewish historian Josephus' account is very brief but poignant:
So Ananus, being that kind of man, and thinking that he had got a good opportunity because Festus was dead and Albinus not yet arrived, holds a judicial council; and he brought before it the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ - James was his name - and some others, and on the charge of violating the law he gave them over to be stoned.Another historian, Eusebius, records that James was taken to the highest pinnacle of the temple and thrown down. He recorded that the fall did not kill him so those on the ground stoned and clubbed him to his final death.
I thank God for the life of this man. I thank God for preserving the words written by him to those earliest believers. I thank God that I can read them today and be challenged in my own faith by the very words of the brother of our Lord. I thank God for his faithfulness and courage.
May you and I, having read and studied these words, take them to heart. May God give us the courage to act on them ... to be believers whose faith is visible and whose desire is ever for the life of Christ to be lived out in each one of us.
May God bless you as you continue your journey toward Him ...
