WHO MATTERS? DOES GOD’s OPINION MATTER TO YOU?
JAMES 2: 1-13
MATTHEW 25: 34b-40
FAITH and ACTIONS PART 4
July 7, 2019
Life’s journey is certainly an interesting and complex one. Last Sunday at this time there was no living breathing human being named DAX AIDEN LEWIS born on July 1, 2019 in Neptune New Jersey because that day had not arrived. But this Sunday forward, that individual, my grandson, will be a part of recorded human history that cannot be but he will always be changing and growing because that’s life; none of us remain the same but ARE we getting closer to God that is the vital question of faith and choice.
The book of James continues to fascinate me as I spend time reflecting on how this letter, whose author is not agreed upon, still resonates here in the 21st Century. Like much of Scripture the remarkable relevance of James to our lives and challenges the letter presents in living our lives shows how the Holy Spirit can provide each of us directions when we open God’s Word; when we agree that taking Bible time is worth it.
Part of the challenges that James writes about to those early people of faith still holds true today, WHO MATTERS? DO YOU CARE ABOUT ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF or ONLY THOSE PEOPLE YOU KNOW? And, perhaps even more importantly, DOES GOD’s OPINION MATTER TO YOU? Do the Holy instructions from the CREATOR of the Universe give you the ultimate instructions for living when you know that this short life has an eternal connection … when you know that God in God’s love and grace cares about you and me. When the table that is set before us today is there so that in your moment of taking the bread and the fruit of the vine you can again be energized to be with Christ … if we care to. If we want to. If we put value into it.
As we move into the second chapter of James I started thinking about how many of us wish we could have a few mulligans in life. You know, take back something that we said or did with absolutely no consequences to our actions. Not to spoil anything but if you have read the reviews you know that the new film YESTERDAY is about a man who apparently is the only human in the world who can remember the songs of the Beatles because everyone else’s memory has been wiped clean … so if that happened my Beatles sermon series of the past would have no relevance at all … no EIGHT DAYS a WEEK, no WE ALL LIVE in a YELLOW SUBMARINE or When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me … speaking words of wisdom …
WORDS of WISDOM might be the simple explanation for the book of James AND WHEN THE BROKEN HEARTED PEOPLE LIVING IN THE WORLD AGREE THERE WILL BE AN ANSWER LET IT BE … an answer about living for and with God is right in Chapter 2 of this book. If you have opened up the five or six pages in your Bibles that is the book of James and read it once or read it twice since we started this sermon series you might have discovered some new answers for you; as you live in this time of broken hearts. If you have been seriously looking at our inserts and answered the questions I have posed perhaps you have started to think about your FAITH and your ACTIONS.
Chapter 2 has James refocusing on the simplicity of God’s call … of Jesus’ message; it’s one we all know. It’s one that at the end of the day is the main feature; the central theme not just of Scripture but also of most of my sermons; it’s the message of the Table and of Easter morning when we declare HE IS RISEN <<HE IS RISEN INDEED>>It is even found in the Christmas season’s rush to the stores when we actually pause to put Christ into Christmas rather than focusing on what we want, deserve, need … well we do need it because at the end of the day ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE!
No, this is not the start of another Beatles sermon series but love being the answer; love being the focus; and love being the understanding of our mission here on earth is God’s call. In verse 8, James adds his written words to the Holy Scripture reflecting on the words recorded in the Torah where the book of Leviticus also shines Old Testament approval of Jesus declarations in Matthew 25 … we hear Jesus say that all OTHER commandments rest on just two LOVE GOD and yes, LOVE ALL of our neighbors. So, it should come as no surprise to any of us who have even casually leafed through this Holy Book that James would write, “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself; YOU ARE doing right. But if you show favoritism … YOU SIN.”
But then again, don’t we want to have favorites? The Bills not the Patriots? The Phillies never the Mets. Aren’t there outcasts not worthy of even being referred to as humans? Just pull up my Facebook page from last week and you can find a clergy person refusing to call children humans insisting that they should only be called illegals as they live out their days in cages without even the basic health supplies we all take for granted. As he said, ‘they are illegals and made their choice.’ Not neighbors; not humans of elementary and pre-K ages eligible for VBS; not breathing beings created in the image of the Holy like us … perhaps by calling them illegals its an easy way to deny that in God’s eyes they are our neighbors whom we are called to love.
At the end of the day, does God’s opinion … God’s directives … matter to you in the least? And, if you are living your life YOUR way because YOU matter then does God even fit in unless you are in that ER or ICU or know that you or someone close to you is really hurting, really sick, or really dying and even then … even then are you really ready to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORS as yourself? Yet … JAMES writes in verse 13 of today’s lesson, “there will be NO MERCY for ANYONE who hasn’t shown mercy.” NO MERCY for ANYONE who hasn’t shown mercy … he continues, “MERCY OVERRULES JUDGEMENT!”
But isn’t it so easy to judge when we matter first? When only our opinion carries the day; no room for diversity nor a second viewpoint of validity … when God’s Word has no weight? And, who the heck is this James anyhow … Jesus would never set down these limitations that we are hearing about in the second chapter of James; not my JESUS … the beautiful gleaming white robed JESUS who looks like me in the mirror … WHAT WOULD JESUS SAY … He would understand that if a rich person came into our neighborhood and knocked at our door of course we’d let him in. Can’t trust the dirty old poor person who is probably a drug user and criminal … smells awful but that rich person breathe in their perfume or aftershave … so clean .. so beautiful … gleaming and special … I choose them but God forbid I let the rag clad homeless bum get close! GET AWAY FROM ME … GO!!!
In your heart of hearts … on this day of Holy Communion and Confession … do you remember days of the past when you rejected some poor person … crossed the street to avoid the one begging for coin with his hand out but you sat in front of your TV set amazed and jealous of the rich and famous knowing that you would welcome them and want to live their lives. Would you want to take back those thoughts? Those actions? James teaches that through those actions we, and I include me, have “shown favoritism among ourselves and become evil-minded judges. When you show favoritism,” he writes, “you are committing a sin … and exposed as a law breaker” according to God’s Word.
But that Jesus guy … where is he in all this? Well, Matthew 25 gives us a perspective of Jesus and His expectations … but, friends … just between us friends … ‘do you really care how Jesus tells you to live your life? Isn’t His way too hard and aren’t there too many things for us to enjoy doing … and His positions on life … nah; don’t need Him.’
Anyhow in Matthew 25, did you hear? “COME,” Jesus says. “You will receive good things from my Father, inherit the Kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began.” Now … this I have to admit is starting to sound good. We know about Easter … Christmas and the tree with our presents and the jolly elf … but to hear Jesus tell His disciples and a crowd and us that we are going to receive good things and inherit the Kingdom …of God? … Well, that’s worth the Communion line isn’t it? Take that piece of bread and dip it in … so Jesus continues:
“I was hungry and you gave me food to eat … thirsty and you gave me a drink … a stranger and you welcomed me … naked and you gave me clothes to wear … sick and in prison and you visited me …”.
But the righteous didn’t remember doing any of that for the King of Kings … and they replied WHEN … WHEN … WHEN did we do that LORD?
Would you be in that mix today if Jesus said it was you who fed Him, you who gave Him a drink, you who welcomed Him as a stranger in your neighborhood or nation … gave Him clothes? Would you be saying ‘I never met You; I never saw You.” But Jesus replied to them, “I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these you have done it for me.” Caring for children and welcoming them … the least of these. The Kingdom of God … God’s opinion matters. Jesus didn’t say take Communion and all is well; He didn’t say take time away from summer fun every once in awhile for church and that has you covered …
And, so James teaches us in Chapter 2 that as people of faith we are not to show favoritism. We are to understand once again how wealth makes life difficult not just for those who are the wealthy but for people of faith who might want to focus on honoring or bowing down to those with wealth or to be envious of them because that is just wrong.
James, is following directly with the teaching of Jesus and in fact of the entire Bible so I am guessing this consistent theme is a pretty clear message from God … “THERE WILL BE NO MERCY IN JUDGMENT for ANYONE (that is spelled A-N-Y-O-N-E) who hasn’t showed mercy. MERCY OVERRULES JUDGMENT.”
It’s a choice … a conscious option for each of us to make. We can’t do a make over for our words even from yesterday much less from 5 or 10 years ago but we can move forward choosing to live as God calls us … FAITH and ACTIONS must go together otherwise FAITH is just a word built on PRETENSE or on a moment that some offer as a cover for those who refuse to be merciful, welcoming and loving so that they can feel good … thinking that somehow by saying they are a Christian, by writing it down, carrying a card, or using it for connections works but then believing that living a life opposite of Jesus is ok and doesn’t matter. Maybe not to them but it matters to God.
Today is RINGO STARR’s 79th birthday and he’s still playing music. He’s healthy and sober and he continues to stand up for love and peace everywhere he goes. Quite a few years ago he was asked what he wanted for his birthday and his answer was to have “Everybody, everywhere, at noon say PEACE and LOVE.”
So after this sermon started like one of my BEATLES sermon series but on a day when we have continued looking at JAMES can we honor both God’s Word and Ringo today? At noon, by pausing wherever we are and just saying ‘PEACE and LOVE’ to whoever is with us? If they ask you can say you are doing it because you are a Christian … or if you are embarrassed by your faith say you are a Beatles fan. I happen to be both.
It’s more than a Ringo Starr thing … we are called to be peacemakers by God … we are called to love all of our neighbors … GOD’s OPINION should matter to you and whether you are at a diner, at WalMart or at home … I think it will feel good at noon to just say PEACE and LOVE because God gives us God’s peace and love through Jesus Christ.
Isn’t it time we use our lives to share God’s message rather than thriving on our own? Are you ready to combine your faith and your life’s actions for the good of God’s Kingdom? For the love of all neighbors whoever they are?
AMEN