PART III
Thank you for listening to First Day. I ask that you share the podcast with others, and I am glad that you are here. In this first chapter, James is concerned with helping his fellow Christians navigate a world of difficulties that include open persecution, temptation, anxiety, and disagreement.

We ended last episode with a look at verses 19 and 20, but verse 21 makes me think that we might need to take a minute’s more consideration.

Read 19-21

Even though we in the Church should know better and all we have decided to follow the Way, the Truth, and the Life, all that sin—the way we used to be and the way we used to live and do things like deal with other people—can be a bit habitual. I mean, if you want something done right…This can lead to frayed nerves and short tempers. See the end of last episode for an example.

Imagine a congregation having to face difficulties tougher than—and unlike—any that it has faced before. (Sound familiar in the world of COVID.)

Now in reality, no one member is objectively more concerned—or loves the church more—than any other member, but in the members’ minds this is likely not the case.

External pressures on the church, family, government, or any other organization (in my sociology classes back in school they call these systems) can easily and almost invariably cause rifts between its members.

The system is squeezed until external pressure leads to internal ones. And if we let that happen, the system won’t be around for long. I think we all know this from experience. Maybe we should just expect it, but as a church, should we?

I can envisage James hearing that his brothers and sisters around the empire are, maybe, reacting to one another just like any run of the mill pagan would in light of these troubles.

Jesus tells His disciples that the world will know them as His by their love.

And verses 19 and 20 lead me to believe that those on the outside looking in might not be able to see Jesus lurking in these disciples’ hearts.

In Philippians chapter two Paul provides a solution by telling the members “to consider everyone else’s needs as more important than your own” and to share the mind of Christ (i.e., to be willing to sacrifice themselves for one another).

This isn’t something that comes naturally or easily—although it is absolutely necessary to our living out our lives in hope no matter what we face.

Here’s where verse 21 comes in. James says, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.” Drop the mic.

Paul gets to make an assumption about the Philippians. He can assume that they know already what James told the Church in verse 21—that if you want to get to righteousness you have to put away “all filthiness and what remains of wickedness and in humility receive the implanted word…”

I think we must be honest with ourselves and admit that we don’t often put other’s needs ahead of our own—especially those of the people with whom we are in disagreement.

Here’s what I’m saying. Philippians was written around 60 CE, 15 years or so after James. In fact, the Philippians would have had access to plenty of doctrine and teaching on how they should get along with one another by their time.

Heck, they had the manual on the doctrine of getting along with each other in the form of Romans.

In Paul’s mind, I think he would have figured that they didn’t have an excuse. His command: “Just do it.” “Put yourself last. Just do it.” “Take the mind of Christ. Just do it.” “Make the same choice Jesus would. Just do it.” I ask you, even having the benefit of all this knowledge…Do we just do it?

Here’s my point…We can’t just do it on our own, and we seem to have forgotten this.

James’ command to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, is possible only when we rid ourselves of the remains of wickedness and all filthiness and “in humility receive the word implanted…” according to James 1:21.

We must be honest with ourselves about the parts of our previous sinful lives that remain and influence our actions. If we want to bring about righteousness, then we have to admit that there is some sordidness still lurking in our souls—and we have to want to get rid of it, by the way.

Paul can matter-of-factly say, “Just do it.” because James has already identified the source of the problem: OUR LIVING IS NOT CHRISTIAN LIVING. And why is this? Because we are not humbly receiving the word—the gospel—that has been implanted.

We don’t let Christ; we hold on to what was—or at least some of what was; so we don’t produce the righteousness of God, and we tear into one another when the squeeze is on.

So how do we put away the past way and accept the implanted word?

Read 22-27

James says that disciples receive the implanted word and produce the righteousness of God by being doers of the word. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And one of those commandments is “to love our neighbor as ourselves.” “Forgive seventy-times-seven.” “Pray for your enemies.” You get the point.

Now the word about which James is speaking is not the rest of the New Testament. It’s not be written yet. Most likely he had a collection of his Brother’s sayings, but the gospels weren’t in existence yet, nor any of Paul’s letters. So what word is James talking about, exactly?

Well, I think the answer is in the last verse of chapter one. “Pure undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Deuteronomy 10:12-22
12 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? 14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it. 15 Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day.
16 So circumcise your heart, and do not stiffen your neck any longer. 17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who does not show partiality, nor take a bribe. 18 He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing. 19 So show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. 21 He is your glory and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen. 22 Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

All these passages in Deuteronomy demonstrate the care that God’s people are to have for those on the margins, those alone, those struggling, those who are in any kind of need:

Deuteronomy 14:29; 16:11,14; 24:17-21; and there are many more in Deuteronomy.

In fact, Let me call attention to the curses uttered by Moses on Mount Ebal in Deuteronmy 27. In the list of curses upon those who do some pretty horrible things—sadly many websites are devoted to these very things nowadays—there’s this one:

“’Cursed is the one who distorts the justice due a stranger, an orphan, or a widow.’” (19)
Hosea 6:6,7 reads, “For I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But like Adam they have violated the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously with Me.”

And we hear similarly from Isaiah even in the very first chapter of the faith that God’s people should possess.

In Isaiah 1:10-15 God criticizes the sacrifices that Israel offers for worship. We hear the LORD declare in verses 16,17:

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, obtain justice for the orphan, plead for the widow’s case.”

Of course, Isaiah doesn’t stop there! The demanded religious fasts are redefined in Isaiah 58:

“Is this not the fast that I choose: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to break your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (i.e., not to find excuses to ignore your charge to care for your neighbor/brother/sister)” (6-7)

These actions result in:

“Then your light will break out like the dawn…and your righteousness will go before you…then you will call, and the LORD will answer…If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you offer yourself to the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your gloom will become like midday.

“And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones…”

There are similar refrains throughout Isaiah and the other prophets…including in my mother’s favorite passage in scripture: Micah 6:6-8

6 With what shall I come to the Lord
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?

7 Does the Lord take pleasure in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has told you, mortal one, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Hopefully, all of this will sound familiar to you because this is what James is reminding his audience of. I think this is the word James is saying that has been implanted in these struggling Christians’ hearts: the word of God spoken through the prophets to a struggling, forgetful, and negligent Israel. These the words that set them apart and make them “a kind of first fruits among [God’s] creatures.” (16)

Now I’ll close this episode with this…What we Christians call the Ten Commandments, the Jews call the (forgive my Hebrew) the Aseret haDebarim, the Ten Words. Now, what does James tell the Church has been implanted in their hearts?

James is saying, “Do what you have heard all your life, what God has planted in your heart, and you will remember you are, and you will overcome the trials.”

Thank you for listening to First Day. I’m Patick Cooley, pastor of Northport Methodist Church. You can visit our Facebook or YouTube channel anytime. I look forward to our next time together. Blessings to you all.