The cornerstone of Lutheran theology is that you are saved by grace through faith, and not by works. The Epistle of St. James seems to challenge this theology. James writes:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” James 2:14-17.
What a stinging criticism! Consider the weight of this implication. Ask yourself if you are guilty of ever sending someone away without attending to their physical needs. Ask yourself if you have turned a blind eye to the poverty and desperation of someone and rested in your own material comfort. If so, then James would have you wonder if your faith isn’t faith at all, but something dead.
James criticizes the behavior of treating some people favorably at church based on their wealth. He indicates to his audience that they treat people with a lot of money better than people who are poor. He calls this foolish behavior, because it was the rich who were quick to haul someone to court for committing some small error. James says that it is the rich who oppress you. James’ is addressing all different kinds of people in the church whether they have money or not.
To the poor James says, “You give special treatment to the very people who exploit you. You claim to have faith that God will save you, but you don’t live as if it were true. You are paralyzed with fear, and you willingly silence yourself and close your own eyes and ears to the truth. Call it willful ignorance and inaction. James dares you to prove that you have faith by unmuting yourself and daring to speak the truth, even in uncomfortable or awkward situations. To this wealth and power he dares them to open their eyes
Theologian Miguel de la Torre writes about a hermeneutical privilege of the oppressed. What he means be that is the person or people who really have the best insight into the ways things are; are the poor and powerless. Think about the schoolyard playground. Which kid on the playgrounds truly understands the character of all the other students. It’s the kid who gets picked on. They know who is cruel and who is kind. They know who protects and who picks on. That’s the hermeneutical privilege of the oppressed. Then consider the playground bully. The kid with the most power and influence who almost always gets what they want. They are blind to the character of everyone around them, because they all just get out of the way and give the bully what they want. James sees this behavior happening and he basically says two things:
- If you have a lot of power, then you should really try to open your eyes to better understand everyone else.
- If you don’t have a lot of power you need to speak up and share the truth so that others may understand
One such person who did have faith was the Syrophoenician woman described in the Gospel of Mark chapter seven. This story may throw you for a spin because Jesus comes off looking kind of biased. First of all he doesn’t want to be seen even entering the house, probably because it was not a Jewish house. Secondly, he calls this woman a dog, and tries to minimize her request as irrelevant to his mission to save Jewish people. But she persisted. Rather than challenging Jesus’ reasons or language she cunningly appropriates his label of “dog,” and pleads with him: even dogs get a few scraps that fall from the table. Surely you can give this dog a tiny scrap. Something that is small for you is big for me. Jesus doesn’t get mad at this. Rather he is impressed, and calls her a woman of great faith. She does exactly what James challenges you to do. She proves her faith by unmuting herself and not giving up until she gets what she needs. Her daughter is healed!
So really, the Epistle of St. James is not a contradiction to Lutheran theology. It is a clarification. Faith is not a passive attitude of entitlement. It’s hard work! [I had a soccer coach that used to always say, “I want to see some hustle!] Faith is a kind of hustle we do to God. Hey God, you have all of the good stuff. I might be a dog, a despicable sinner, but be that as it may, would you find it in your heart to forgive me and save me?
I remember one time this happened to me. We made a campfire at a youth and family event. It was a lot of fun! We sang campfire songs and roasted hot dogs. The youth began to ask if we could roast marshmallows. I said that it was a fine idea but I didn’t bring any marshmallows, so sorry. Tough luck. Just enjoy the fire, I said. But they did not relent. One boy in particular, by the name of Anthony, wouldn’t let it go. He asked, “How could you make a fire, and not let us roast marshmallows?” He tried wearing me down, but I had other things on my mind, like teaching a Bible study, and conducting worship, making sure everyone was safe, etc.
Finally we had gotten through the lesson and a large group of people had gathered around the fire and the mood was mellow and quiet. Anthony looked meek and mild, and spoke up while everyone was quiet. He said, excuse me pastor, if I go to the 99 cent store can I buy marshmallows for you? The store was maybe five blocks away. I said, sure Anthony if you want to buy marshmallows for me, that would be fine. He leaned forward and looked at me with a little more intensity. Pastor, do you promise that you will let me buy marshmallows for you? He inclined his head toward me. His words passed through the flames and they seared his words so that they came to me tested and hardened not just by the fire there, but by the fire that Anthony himself had walked through.
Have you heard about the children who jump on the trains without their parents in central America and ride it through Mexico to the US border, and then cross the border on their own? That was Anthony. This was a tough and cunning kid. I said yes Anthony I promise I will let you buy marshmallows for me. Now my words had passed through the fire and were witnessed by all those gathered around. He said, “Okay great. Give me your money.” I said, “What!” He smiled the smile of a child far wiser than his years and said, “Yeah, you promised to let me buy them for you. So give me some money so I can buy them for you.” At this everyone around the fire burst out laughing. Keep in mind he had only been learning English a few months. He boldly walked up to me and opened up his hand ready to accept the money.
I had no choice. What kind of a pastor would stiff a kid so daring in front of all the adults of the church. I took out my wallet and gave him the few dollars I had. The second the bills went in his hand he closed them in his hand jack rabbited away into the darkness of the night with a group of boys following him. Minutes later Anthony returned to the church, a smile of victory on his face with the bag of marshmallows hoisted over his head like a champion with a whole group of children following him. The bag was ripped open and the children roasted then devoured the entire bag in a matter of seconds. The sugar hit their blood and they were running laps around the church, crawling up walls, crawling under bushes, and weaving through the crowd in pure jubilee. Then Anthony paused right in front of me mid-stride and gave me the last marshmallow at the bottom of the bag. He said, here pastor, I bought this for you. Now I’ve had a lot of roasted marshmallows in my day, but that was by far the sweetest I have ever had.
The prophet Isaiah in chapter 35 says, to have no fear. Your enemies will be silenced. The lame will walk. The deaf will hear. The mute will speak. The blind will see. Even the driest hottest desert will be transformed into an oasis with springs of water bursting to life! The prophet sees beyond what is plainly in front of you to what is possible. Imagine the untold blessing and life stored up in God’s creation and available to us! Imagine the peace, justice, abundance beyond our present struggle.
Do you believe it’s there?
Do you believe it’s possible?
James believed that it is possible.
The syrophoenician woman believed that it was possible.
Anthony believed that it was possible.
Do you believe it is possible?
Do you have faith?
Prove it.
I dare you.
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