09/07/2024 – Prologue - Some may be surprised at claims of liberty lost. The response usually will be - America is still the freest country in the world. That baits the question. Try expounding conservative views on a college campus; try digging a pond in your own backyard to impound rain water; or a whole host of things that Americans could do fifty years ago and see whether State or Federal governments object. The 1787 Constitution described four federal crimes. Today there are more than 4,450 (Heritage Foundation) – and nearly everyone is a stark symbol of liberty lost.
Our loss of liberty has not been the fault of the Constitution. The Framers may be chided for their use of overtly ambiguous language. It is we, the people, through our elected officials and courts, who have chosen to take unwarranted advantage of the language to expand government beyond reasonable bounds. The legacy we are currently handing to posterity is not worthy of pride. Yes, the republic survives and has survived longer than any of those in antiquity, but it hangs by a thread. Liberty, in every dimension, has been reduced. We are handing this imperiled republic to a posterity ill-inclined to preserve it.
[James 1:19-27] – The Word That Goes to Work - Words can be terrible things, leaving lasting wounds. James introduces one of his key themes: - the dangerous power of the human tongue. We need to be careful here; we are in the process of studying God’s word. We have determined that God’s word conveys more than information – it does things, changes things, and brings about lasting changes to our lives. Today, we will see God’s word going to work and hear a warning about our (human) words that often go to work in a different direction. In James we should bring ideas and concepts side by side for better understanding. Many early Christian writers warned of the dangers of human anger. NB, - James emphasizes patience. It is anger we see when patience reaches its limit. [v. 19-21] When we perceive the world to be out of sorts, could an expression of anger put things right? Paul [Eph. 4:26] expresses that some sort of anger might be okay (in a controlled sense). Paul further teaches that anger must be kept in its place. James teaches – be slow to anger and slow to speak. Their message is, if we seek God’s justice, just get out of the way and let God work it through. If we express our anger, no matter how gently: we will ruffle feathers, wound pride, and see evidence of malice and envy. God will not find that helpful. God works through us, through His word,[Isa. 55:10-11] such as we see when planting a seed and watching a beautiful flower emerge. In another vein, these we call - Nominal Christians or ‘Pick and Choose’ Catholics – those who listen, but are little affected.[v. 22-24] James wants to remind us what scripture and the message about Jesus really means: “the perfect law of freedom.” [v. 25] Wait, is that a contradiction? Are not laws supposed to restrict freedom? Defining terms: a law (rule) usually made by the government to control behavior; a law (principle) states what happens when the same conditions exist. So, …, when we look into the law of freedom - the law of God, the word of God, His word is supposed to go to work, and we are supposed to be transformed. That all means our lives will be enriched in many ways. James is practical, and knowing his ‘story’ makes that understandable. After a flash of theology, James comes back to everyday instructions with the example of (the pious person with a foul mouth) also a contradiction in terms. [v. 20] They are deceiving only themselves. James asks the obvious, “Do you want to follow in God’s way?” First remember there are people ‘out there’ who need help because the world is a messy place and the world may try to mess up your life as well. James tells us – be certain to focus on the first, being pious, and avoid the second. That is brisk teaching.
[James 2:1-13] – No Favorites – Clearly, Church Rule # 1 Do not pull social rank in church. James warns us: do not let the world leave a dirty smudge on you. The world always assesses people; sizing them up, putting them down, creating a pecking order. God sees and loves all alike, wanting the church to reflect His generous, universal love. James insisted on equality of treatment, but he leads to a point to be developed later: that the rich are often oppressors and even persecutors of the church. (Key) We must watch carefully because the rich can motivate the justice system to operate on their behalf. They hire top lawyers and become friendly with judges. And the poor have to ‘take it.’ Can the rich be sinister? The first century ‘rich’ were very anxious about this new messianic movement; the bedraggled Jesus followers. Who was this person, who talked about God’s new world having been instituted? Do they know who is in charge? [v. 7] James asks a rhetorical question of the body of Christians: “Do they not know who is in charge? The answer is the King of Glory – King Jesus [v. 1]. He is the anointed one, He is the Lord. All human status – all pride of wealth, social status, and fine clothing pale to insignificance before Him. It was Jesus, reemphasizing one of the central themes of the ancient Israeli law, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It was central to Jesus’ teaching and in early Christianity and today. However, we must define this command and appropriately apply it to situations we encounter. We might consider this a ‘royal law’. James’ meaning – While here - King Jesus endorsed it and insisted upon it. What is also unique about these verses is that the early church saw Jesus as king, as ‘Messiah.’ They believed that God had estab-lished His kingdom in and through Jesus, and they were determined to live under that rule whether or not the rest of the world did so. They implied the remainder of the Jewish people, whose Messiah, Jesus was. If this is the royal law, then the law of freedom [v. 12] looks back to [James 1:25]; which we interpret as meaning – be not a hearer, be a doer! He is warning us that to break this law is to be a lawbreaker. To see this clearly: if a piece of glass is broken – it is broken. It is not a little bit broken. For the automobile inclined a flat tire is a flat tire. James saw then, what we see today: some people try to drive on the ‘flat tire’ of social or political prestige rather than the full command of Jesus – “Love your neighbor as yourself”. To take another perspective: Can a Christian be a Democrat? James ends this segment with a paradox, [v.13] God’s mercy is sovereign – it will triumph. How-ever, the moment I say “Oh well, God will forgive me, it does not matter what I do.” What happens when ‘What I do’, includes discriminating against the poor? Then because God is the God of mercy, he must act in judgement. God will not tolerate a world in which mercy is not the ultimate rule of life. Mercy is not an ‘anything goes’ attitude toward life. This is true when anything includes arrogance, corruption, blasphemy, favoritism, and/or general lawbreaking. If God were merciful to that group, He would be unmerciful to the poor, the helpless, the innocent and specific victims. It is to those enumerated groups, that the gospel story insists that God’s mercy will shine. We must do the same. AMEN
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