What does "works" mean to James? James 2:14-17 shows the sorts of things he has in mind.14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.Here's the scenario: a brother or sister, and one cannot discern from this text whether this is a messianist brother/sister or a Jewish brother/sister, has either insufficient clothing (James hyperbolizes with "without clothes" -- like his brother he hyperbolizes) or insufficient food. How does one respond?
Here is the problem for James: the only legitimate, Christian, Jesus following response is to do something about it by doing something for the one without enough clothes and the one without enough food.
In my judgment, the problem here (today) isn't quite as graphic as this text: the problem is the comfortable no-poor zones we find in the suburban sprawl, the sheltering of ourselves from those in need, and the distancing of ourselves from those in need.
There isn't enough space here to observe the number of times Jesus' own practice exhibited this practice, but the Beatitudes and the parable of the sheep and goats are good places to begin.
In my judgment, the problem here (today) isn't quite as graphic as this text: the problem is the comfortable no-poor zones we find in the suburban sprawl, the sheltering of ourselves from those in need, and the distancing of ourselves from those in need.
There isn't enough space here to observe the number of times Jesus' own practice exhibited this practice, but the Beatitudes and the parable of the sheep and goats are good places to begin.
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Truth be told, you'd have a tough time finding that kind of poverty in the US -- it's pretty much restricted to homeless people. Even our poor are fat and own 2 TVs.
We have to look outside the borders of our country to find real poverty -- which is the problem. Out of sight, out of mind. We all need to be more intentional about finding those in need and doing something about their situation.
ChrisB
Not necessarily true. Have you seen some of the people in Appalachia? It's quite sad.
The difficult part of this for me is that I see the need as so great - I see literally millions and millions of people who are 'my brothers' who are without sufficient food/clothes/medical care - and I am unable to meet all their needs.
Just a few minutes of surfing on google will net me so many heart rending stories - in a way I think it would be easier to follow this command if I had no knowledge of the greater world at large so that James' description was naturally limited in scope due to geography. But due to the information age there is no limit to us knowing - it's overwhelming and guilt-inducing on many levels.
Each time I go to the grocery store and buy something that is not absolutely essential for our survival - like a snack or cake mix - I wonder if it is a sin b/c others are going hungry. The fact that my child has two pairs of shoes (that fit him properly) and that we pay for him to go to school - yet other children have neither of those things. Is it wrong to give that to my child when I also don't give an equal amount to others? Is it a sin to buy shampoo or a shirt?
I take the issue of giving seriously and support organizations who are helping those in need in the US and around the world - but it never feels like enough b/c I am able to live a frugal middle class life and my own kids and spouse are not impoverished.
I have heard a messianic rabbi teach that the parable of the sheep and the goats is talking about what you did for the least of the Jewish brothers (i.e., how do you treat Jews and Israel, not how you help the general poor of the world) which I don't think I agree with.
But I honestly don't know how it is possible to follow James' command here - I wish I did b/c it would certainly alleviate a lot of spiritual angst that I have been dealing with for years now.
I think that one of the "problems" with poverty we have here in the states is that there are relatively few people experiencing actual deprivation, but a lot of people experiencing enormous stresses from a lack of stability and standard of living which is not only very expensive, but is very, very difficult to opt out of. It is really an enormous amount of stress rather than deprivation which largely characterizes poverty in this country. Which makes it much harder to deal with, imo. If someone needs food, then we know what our response should be - give them food! How do we respond when it is not a person's physical well being at stake, but their mental well being? In some ways we've almost reversed the dynamic James is speaking against here; we make sure people's physical needs are met while leaving their emotional (for lack of a better descriptor) needs untouched. Surely James does not mean to say that once physical needs are met, our obligation to a brother or sister who may be suffering in other ways is met. If we respond to a brother or sister who is suffering the stress and instability which characterizes poverty in this country with, "you have food and clothes. There is a roof over your head. Go in peace," aren't we also failing in acting out our faith? I think that this is where our class segregated society creates a problem for us. The solution to the sort of stress and instability which characterizes poverty in our place and time is surely relationships, mentoring and involvement in each other's lives. Yet, just like Jame's hypothetical Christian who offers bromides to physical needs, we so often want to offer what we have in abundance (in our case physical things), while leaving the actual needs unmet.
Most of us living middle class lifes are rich compared to the poor James is describing. Most of earth's inhabitants are poor and a large per centage are starving and without sufficient clothes and shelter. I can not read Jesus or James without being sorely aware that I seldom if ever live up to the expectations and exhortations of the two bothers and father. Perhaps James is very clear where Paul isn't- belief is no substitute for works. When I hear people here and elsewhere arguing about beliefs when so many of our brothers and sisters are going hungry, I wonder what James and Jesus would say about that?
The bias against works expressed so often in orthodox Christianity (you can't buy your way to salvation, God's holiness and sovereignty is being slighted by your arrogance, lack of humility, etc.) is where I part ways with parts of Christianity. So you think you can buy your way with beliefs, and you don't show arrogance and lack of humility with your belief in your election? Belief (as opposed to trust) seems so far away from James' and Jesus' teachings about love and works that to me there are two very different Christianities. I think you, Scot, are trying to bridge the gap, and I see day after day, week, after week, month after month how difficult that is to do.
Doug
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