Jesus Creed

Jesus Creed

A Brother’s Wisdom 6

posted by Scot McKnight | 1:02pm Tuesday February 24, 2009

JesusJames*.jpgJames is like his brother Jesus in how he understands God. God is good and God is there and God is not silent and God responds.

who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

One thinks of a text like Matthew 7:7-11:

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If
you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to
those who ask him!



James says God is simply gives wisdom to those who come to God in faith. Jesus says God is good and gives to his children who come to him. It is not James’ style to “quote” Jesus. Instead, James has made his brother’s wisdom his own and says things from Jesus in his own way.

What he’s getting at here is that the poor messianists who are in the midst of so much suffering and stress and oppression can know that God is good and that God is there and that God is not silent and that God is listening. They can go to that God with their request for wisdom.

One might say that James, in some ways, provides the wisdom they were seeking from God. James doesn’t promise that God will rescue the poor messianists from suffering; he exhorts them to gather round one another, to live as Jesus taught, and to look to God for justice. This is not a pacifistic withdrawal but an active, aggressive stance of peace-mongering in the face of injustices. Note James 3:17-18:

17 But
the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then
peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.



Previous Posts

This blog is no longer active
This blog is no longer being actively updated. Please feel free to browse the archives or: Read our most popular inspiration blog See our most popular inspirational video Take our most popular quiz

posted 3:10:39pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Our Common Prayerbook 30 - 3
Psalm 30 thanks God (vv. 1-3, 11-12) and exhorts others to thank God (vv. 4-5). Both emerge from the concrete reality of David's own experience. Here is what that experience looks like:Step one: David was set on high and was flourishing at the hand of God's bounty (v. 7a).Step two: David became too

posted 12:15:30pm Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Theology After Darwin 1 (RJS)
One of the more important and more difficult pieces of the puzzle as we feel our way forward at the interface of science and faith is the theological implications of discoveries in modern science. A comment on my post Evolution in the Key of D: Deity or Deism noted: ...this reminds me of why I get a

posted 6:01:52am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Almost Christian 4
Who does well when it comes to passing on the faith to the youth? Studies show two groups do really well: conservative Protestants and Mormons; two groups that don't do well are mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics. Kenda Dean's new book is called Almost Christian: What the Faith of Ou

posted 12:01:53am Aug. 31, 2010 | read full post »

Let's Get Neanderthal!
The Cave Man Diet, or Paleo Diet, is getting attention. (Nothing is said about Culver's at all.) The big omission, I have to admit, is that those folks were hunters -- using spears or smacking some rabbit upside the conk or grabbing a fish or two with their hands ... but that's what makes this diet

posted 2:05:48pm Aug. 30, 2010 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(3)
post a comment
Dave Leigh

posted February 24, 2009 at 2:09 pm


Great thoughts! Looking forward to reading your commentary.



report abuse
 

EricW

posted February 24, 2009 at 2:29 pm


Have you ever noticed how often the word brother/brothers (adelphos) is used in the Book of James, both in number and as a proportion of total words or nouns, compared to other NT books? I wonder if it’s because he was Jesus’s adelphos?



report abuse
 

Ted M. Gossard

posted February 24, 2009 at 11:15 pm


Fresh. Thanks, Scot.
I do find it helpful to see these truths in the context of oppression within James, of the rich over the poor. Would have especially precious application for believers in difficult places today. But should speak to us as well. On both sides. In a sense I can identify with both sides.
And I agree, I do look forward to the commentary to come!



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story


About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.