Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
Last week, I noted that James indicates that we're to continually look at and adjust our lives to the 'perfect law that gives freedom' (1:25). Today, we get a little closer look at what he's referring to.
I. Examples of Error: James 2: 1-9
James is still discussing ‘listening and obeying vs. hearing and forgetting’, so this lesson begins with illustrations of some errors in behavior that result from 'forgetting'.
The first error he mentions is judging someone’s personal worth by his/her appearance. The illustration is a church service, in which someone who looks wealthy and important is greeted warmly and honored, while someone who obviously is not wealthy is more or less dismissed.
I'll freely admit it's fighting our nature to resist judging other folks by their appearances. Some time ago, I had to spend some time in a hospital waiting room before some tests and there were a number of people in the room representing a wide variety of dress and mannerisms. And, despite my better knowledge, I found myself making judgments about what kind of people these folks were based on their dress and manner of speaking and how they interacted with their companions. It was almost as if my spiritual self was watching my natural self react in the very thing which James states is having 'discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts.' (v.4)
Now, I was in a corner with a book waiting my turn and so I didn't have any opportunity to interact with any of them, but I could see how easy it would be to treat the folks differently based on how they presented themselves, which is the second error James notes: giving preferential treatment to the one you deem more valuable.
Why do we do this? I really think it's because our desire is to gain favor with the rich and powerful in order that they might ‘return the favor’ to us in some fashion. This is a subtle action of actually trusting man over God; it's basically idolatry.
James indicates that this is crazy: poor people have a greater reliance on and faith in God, while the rich people tend to be the ones who exploit those beneath them and make a mockery of God.
But, if we heed and obey the ‘Royal Law’ to love each other, we will not fall into this error. James quotes Leviticus 19:18, 'Love your neighbor as yourself', which Jesus also quoted in Matthew 22:35 - 40:
Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." This is the 'perfect law that gives freedom' James refers to...the law of love, because if we truly act with love towards God and towards others, the rest of the law falls into place.
Treating some better than others is wrong: it violates the royal Law of love. It is sin.
II. Essence of Sin – James 2: 10 - 11
So, James continues, if you break one law, you are guilty of breaking the whole Law. We tend to think of the Law as being a set of small laws, like a set of china, and so believe that if one is broken the rest are ok. And if it's a minor piece...say, a salt cellar...then the value of the set really isn't harmed *that* much. But the truth is, The Law is a integrated unit, like a chain, and if one link...no matter which one...is broken the whole thing is broken. The example he gives is murder vs. adultery, but he could have selected any example...lying vs. stealing, etc. The truth is, any time I assert my will over God's will I have broken God's law. I've sinned.
III. Essence of Obedience – James 2: 12 - 13
But, James points out, we are to be living under the Law that gives freedom, the Law of Love that frees us from bondage to the written laws. The perfect law of love is not based on a list of dos and don'ts, it's based on the heart attitude of love.
It's God's mercy operating in our lives that will defeat the natural tendency to judge.
Things to think about: In what ways do I allow the old nature and its self-centered judgment to express itself? How can I bring that part of me under submission to the Law of Love...the mercy of God?
No comments:
Post a Comment