Text: James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
One commentator makes a good remark about the first statement of this text. It does not say if a brother or sister has faith. Rather, it says if a brother or sister says s/he has faith. What a wonderful distinction! For if we have faith, from my perspective, there is life. That is important to remember. We can argue and talk and debate about faith and works and keep the fire burning on that topic - just like the chicken and the egg debate. It does us no good. Faith is life. It is not abstract. It is not a "yes" answer to a question like, "Do you have faith in Jesus?" Faith is life. Life reflects that in which we placed our trust...our faith. Does that mean our lives must have a certain look to them - in general yes....loving! But after that, we become the interpreters of that love within our own lives. Faith does not place within our hearts a sense of guilt over what we do not do. Faith, trusting Jesus, places within our hearts the longing for love in life that brings into our living just such love - action - works...you name it as you want to name it. If we merely are going to talk about faith...I would guess that we merely will talk about acts of love - works. At the same time, communal talk about faith and loving life is vital to all of our lives. We need each other to keep embers of faithfulness burning within our hearts and warming up our acts of loving kindness in life.
Connection: Be alive within the love of God for us - have faith. There's no way to "test" whether we have faith. We can simply pray that the Holy Spirit inspire our trust and shape our lives that stand upon the one we trust, our God in Christ Jesus. When we remember the one who brings us life - all of life - in that remembering, we will bring to life...service, mercy, love, justice...we will!
Abiding Lord your presence at our side is enough to call us into lives of hopefulness. When the day grows heavy and we are overwhelmed by the load we carry, remind us of your promise to be with us and to walk alongside so that we may, like you, walk with those around us - for we know what it is to be burdened...and we know by your presence what it is to have another with us along the way. Amen
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
One commentator makes a good remark about the first statement of this text. It does not say if a brother or sister has faith. Rather, it says if a brother or sister says s/he has faith. What a wonderful distinction! For if we have faith, from my perspective, there is life. That is important to remember. We can argue and talk and debate about faith and works and keep the fire burning on that topic - just like the chicken and the egg debate. It does us no good. Faith is life. It is not abstract. It is not a "yes" answer to a question like, "Do you have faith in Jesus?" Faith is life. Life reflects that in which we placed our trust...our faith. Does that mean our lives must have a certain look to them - in general yes....loving! But after that, we become the interpreters of that love within our own lives. Faith does not place within our hearts a sense of guilt over what we do not do. Faith, trusting Jesus, places within our hearts the longing for love in life that brings into our living just such love - action - works...you name it as you want to name it. If we merely are going to talk about faith...I would guess that we merely will talk about acts of love - works. At the same time, communal talk about faith and loving life is vital to all of our lives. We need each other to keep embers of faithfulness burning within our hearts and warming up our acts of loving kindness in life.
Connection: Be alive within the love of God for us - have faith. There's no way to "test" whether we have faith. We can simply pray that the Holy Spirit inspire our trust and shape our lives that stand upon the one we trust, our God in Christ Jesus. When we remember the one who brings us life - all of life - in that remembering, we will bring to life...service, mercy, love, justice...we will!
Abiding Lord your presence at our side is enough to call us into lives of hopefulness. When the day grows heavy and we are overwhelmed by the load we carry, remind us of your promise to be with us and to walk alongside so that we may, like you, walk with those around us - for we know what it is to be burdened...and we know by your presence what it is to have another with us along the way. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment