So as we covered last episode, James’ letter is addressed to Jewish Christians “dispersed throughout the world.” These Jewish Christians are not having the easiest go of it, and I am pretty sure that some of them—particularly the ones in Judea—might be questioning their decision to embrace Jesus as Messiah. Remember, King Herod Agrippa I is actively persecuting the Jewish followers of Jesus. See Acts 12 for more on this. 

 

Considering all of this, I think James’ primary is focus on Christian living over one on doctrine is reasonable. It seems natural that people under persecution might have a second look at their commitment. I think it helpful to see this as a how to for Christians. 

 

Last time we looked at verses one-through-eight where James reminds his brothers and sisters to remain faithful in their time of trial. We should ask the LORD to give us discernment in these tough times so that through them we might be able to grow in our wisdom and discipleship. With God we are not victims unless we are of two-minds: Remember Joseph in Genesis and all that his brothers did to him, all that we went through; he never curses them and wraps up the end of Genesis with the declaration, “As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” (50:20,21)

 

So God is at work if we look, and when we respond in these times with faith, we will be impacting more people than we can imagine. 

 

Tell a story about not reacting the way people would expect you to react, to a trial. 

 

Read 9-11: The rich and poor alike will face these trials and each must seek the wisdom of God that James has just finished discussing. There is always something that God wants us to take away from the trials that we experience. But I want to spend some time considering this section a bit more—through the lens of Christian living.

 

What comes to mind here is Jesus’ statement to His disciples about the difficulties that the wealthy face when trying to follow Him. How easy it is to just do it yourself than to trust that someone else will handle it—particularly a God that you cannot see. The trials that God’s people face are, indeed, tremendous. I hear James saying about the rich person’s handling it: “Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, it’s going to move sideways. No matter how beautiful and “tough” the flower appears to be, the sun takes care of it. 

 

The “lowly” person—the poor or person of meager resources—has no choice but to trust that God will see the faithful through. In fact, this person should “glory in [God’s] exaltation” in this time of trial, and not beat themselves up over not being able to handle it—should glory that they can’t do it alone. Believers should glory in the fact that they can’t handle it. And the wealthy should glory in their humiliation that they will only, in the end, fail in their pursuits.

 

James is telling us to be satisfied that we must leave it to God. Remember Laodicea in Revelation, they didn’t think they needed anything from Christ, and they were wrong.

 

Read verses 12-15

 

Within the trials that we face, there is temptation. Now here the thing, James says. God Does not tempt. Trials come to strengthen our faith—and God, I think, has every expectation that we well pass the trial; we will endure. But within these trials there is the temptation to lose one’s trust in God. Wouldn’t it be easier to solve our own problems? 

 

Jewish Christians are under trail, they are being thrown into jail and some have been executed. How easy it would be to compromise, to turn and walk away—perhaps even more so for James’ audience. Afterall, these are Jews. 

 

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” (14) Within whatever trial each of us is facing, a trial if we look deeply enough we can see something that God is working, there is a temptation to think about ourselves. Remember what Joseph said, his trial wasn’t about him; what he went through was so that many might be saved. People watch us to see how we are going to respond to the trials and setbacks that we face. If we make our lives about ourselves, we make room for temptation. 

 

And I think James’ thinking may be along the same lines. 

 

Read 16-18.

 

What brings us through the trial is a blessing and gift from God. And God will remain faithful—will live up to His end of the covenant. “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” It’s not about us Jews, he says, because we have always only intended to the first of many!

 

Read 19, 20

 

Because there is more at stake here than just ourselves—there is more at stake than just you in whatever you are facing—James’ guide to Christian living, I think, puts it in a way that doesn’t need much embellishment. We should watch how we react or death with the trials that we face, since we represent more. 

 

Although James’ advice is to a church that is under official, state persecution, I don’t think that his advice is limited to only that type of trial. We face trials every day—within our public and private lives—even within the church. We come up against something, or I guess more appropriately something comes up against us, the apostle’s teaching holds true. 

 

I recently had a moment of trial with a fellow Christian, another leader in my congregation. There was a difference of opinion, and I yielded to temptation in the midst of this trial. But after some yummy crow in my belly, we came out the other side, and I think our church will be better for it. 

 

There is no doubt that Christ’s Church and we Christians today face an uphill battle. Everywhere we turn in this present darkness there is a temptation to compromise on the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and we run the risk of taking up once again the sin of Adam and making all this about ourselves. Doing so will only make us quick to speak and quick to wrath—and this “does not produce the righteousness of God.”