Giving the Text an Opportunity to deliver Christ and Christ Alone
Sunday, August 30, 2009
13th Sunday after Pentecost

James 1:17-27

1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.1:18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.1:19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;1:20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.1:21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.1:22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.1:23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;1:24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.1:25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing.1:26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Here the Heavenly Father is graciously bestowing on us the perfect gifts of Jesus Christ who is the ONLY one who has come down from heaven (John 3), the one who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews). This Christ is our life since we no longer live (Galations 2). He is the Perfect One and his life in us is perfection itself. The "generous acts of giving" which Jesus does while he is our life are indeed the "good works" which the Father has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. (Ephesians 2)

1:18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

So that the Father will be true to his Word, he fulfills his own purpose not waiting for us to finally get around to it or become prepared to do so or make a decision that we will try to fulfill his purpose (or at least, really, really want to...). The Father uses his word of truth (Jesus is "the Word"--John 1-- and has declared himself to be "the Truth"--John 11) upon us when in our baptism INTO Christ we are joined to his death and his resurrection and, since he is the "first fruits" of the New Creation (1 Cor. 15 and others), we are "first fruits" as well. For now we are only "a kind of" because we "are dead and our life is hid with Christ is God." (Col 3). And, finally, we are reminded that we don't have life in ourselves for "of his creatures" declares that God has brought us out of nothing into the current creation and has (in Christ) brought us out of nothing into the New Creation.

1:19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;1:20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.

What else is anger but the emotion aroused at perceived injustice, especially to ourselves. To operate out of the justice/injustice paradigm means we are still "in the law" and not "in Christ." By being "quick to listen" we place ourselves in position to hear the Word so that by the Holy Spirit's work Christ will be delivered to us and us to him so that we might have "faith in Christ" which is indeed "God's righteousness." Now, in Christ and no longer in the law, we're no longer angered over the injustices of broken laws and hurriedly speaking up for ourselves and we are able patiently to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ and declare the absolution for his sake so that, by their "hearing," law-breakers and the perpetrators of injustice will hear the only Word by which they can be transformed as the Holy Spirit works in them "faith in Christ"--that is, God's righteousness. Anger, coming as it does out of the law, is not a word that produces faith

1:21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

Christ is the Word which the Holy Spirit has implanted in us like an arrow straight to our heart bringing the sinner's life to end so that he 'bites' the dust of mortality in the most humbling of experiences. This Word is the power which has "saved our souls," hiding them away in God so that they're kept safe and inviolate from the Devil's rantings. Sordidness and wickedness--like anger--are products of the law (Romans 7:5) and we are "rid" of them when, by our hearing of the Word, the Holy Spirit delivers Christ and holds us in him and his faith.

1:22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

This "doing" is the doing of the Word, Jesus Christ--the "good works" of verse 17. To "deceive" ourselves is to think that somehow we are responsible for "doing" them, to think that somehow they accrue to our credit, or to think that by doing them we are displaying any sort of "obedience" to the law. Mere hearers also deceive themselves when they operate as if they were "in the law" and not "in Christ." The only "doing" of the Word for which we're responsible is that for which the apostles were sent out: to be his witnesses, testifying to the forgiveness of sins which he died to declare. This is the "doing" that delivers "God's righteousness," see verse 20.

1:23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;1:24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.

Whether we look at ourselves in a mirror or look at ourselves by "navel-gazing" (in curvatus in se), we are still looking to ourselves and not looking to Christ who is our salvation and life (Luke 17). What do we see when we "look at ourselves?" Flesh! What is flesh but mortal and being mortal it is dead (only a matter of time...) But
"doers"--who look not to themselves but to Christ--have Christ as their life. And so comes the next verse...

1:25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing.

Christ, the one who came to fulfill the law, is the law perfected. Freedom and liberty are in him and at his command. We "persevere" as the Holy Spirit calls us through the Gospel, gathers and enlightens us with his gifts, sanctifies, and keeps us in the one true faith (which is Jesus Christ in person). "Being not hearers who forget"--that is, those who don't remember that they're dead flesh and Christ is their life; "doers who act"--that is, those who confess that Christ is their life. How will Christ who lives in them fail to bring blessing as he delivers the good works for them to walk in and the "doers" of the Word deliver that Word and so "do" Christ unto their neighbor, blessing the neighbor as well?

1:26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Religion and Faith are enemies. Religion is "in the Law" and demands visible works. Faith is "in Christ" and trusts that the works are done even if they're not immediately visible. Here religion is shown to be an impossible proposition. For, indeed, all think they are "religious" but who is it that can bridle their tongue and not speak in anger? Thereby they demonstrate that they are "in the law." They "deceive" their hearts, pretending by their "religious" works that they possess "God's righteousness." Such works are worthless. They don't come from a heart which is Christ. Religion will not save. However, if there were a religion that could save, it would have to be "pure and undefiled" in the presence of God; that is, what the law demands, religion would deliver. Since--even though religion is of the law--it can't deliver what the law demands; orphans and widows continue in their distress and no one--except Jesus Christ and those whose lives he has hidden with himself in God--are kept unstained by the world.