Sermon for September 1, 2024: Do Something based upon James 1:17-27

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James 1:17-27

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. In fulfilment 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.
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Hearing and Doing the Word

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. 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.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 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.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 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.

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     I’ve heard people say that a sermon can be “three bullet points and a poem.” I remembered that description when I read Margaret Aymer’s commentary on today’s scripture. She argues that it is an odd choice, or at least a choice that complicates preaching, to put these verses together as one reading. She says that this chunk of verses is really three introductions to three arguments that will be expounded upon later in the letter. When you were learning to write an essay, were you ever told to construct that essay by “saying what you’re going to say, say it, and say what you said?” I was... in fact, I was told that a good model for sermon writing, too.

     The letter that we know as the book of James is a letter that, according to Cain Hope Felder, began as a sermon written by James, Jesus’ brother, probably in the months before he was killed. Then, someone who was a very good writer and editor took that sermon and added to it. The editor then shared it with churches who shared it with other churches 20 or 30 years later in the late 80’s or 90’s. This was an era when the line between Judaism and Christianity wasn’t yet very clear, and many of the people who understood themselves to be followers of Jesus also understood themselves to be Jewish. Some churches of this era were predominantly Gentile. Some were a mix of Jewish and Gentile. And some were predominantly Jewish. The churches that circulated this letter were predominantly Jewish churches. Felder argues that this was a challenging time for those churches and it was useful and helpful for them to hear from a leader of the Jerusalem church. James, as leader of the Jerusalem church, would have been respected by Jewish Christians who lived in other parts of the Roman empire. So much so, that a letter credited to him would eventually become Holy Scripture.

     The letter that started as a sermon from someone nearing the end of their life, possibly knowing that they were in danger, written to uplift their own church, became a message to several churches about how to develop what Felder calls a “courageous faith that will help them cope effectively with the trials of life.” The ultimate goal for each Christian in developing this faith is to foster a deep integrity that leads them to acting lovingly and justly in the world. In James, there is a strong sense that your faith in Jesus is supposed to change how you behave in the world. James 2:17 says “[f]aith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” You might recognize, as Felder points out, that this is a different view of the place of good works from other parts of the Bible, particularly the letters of Paul. Paul is very much concerned about what people believe. James is very much concerned with what people do because of their faith.
I told you earlier that I learned that one way to construct a sermon is to say what you’re going to say, say it, and then say what you’ve said. So far, I haven’t done that at all. I haven’t given you much a clue at all about what my point will be, have I. This is another way to write a sermon, by the way: Invite people to hear what you’re saying and hope they trust you enough to hang in there while you make your way to your point. I imagine that you might have gotten one hint from my sermon title: Do something. I actually think James is making a significant and important point here. Your faith should not just inspire you to think something. It should inspire you to do something.

     Our reading for today is an introduction to James’ ideas about how faith inspires action. First, we should consider ourselves children of God first, not simply products of the things we desire. As Margaret Aymer points out in her commentary, God has given birth to this community through grace. God is not tempting us as a test, because God does not give us what can harm us. God gives us what can give us life. That which destroys us is not from God. God gives us a word of truth that grows in us, as a blossom becomes a fruit on a tree. Our faith, first and foremost, is a gift, not a burden.

     Secondly, we who are inheritors of a word of truth, are to let that word bloom into relationships through faithful communication. Our first actions inspired by our faith are listening, thoughtful and care-filled speech, and patience. In acting in humility, according to Aymer, we cultivate righteousness with God. In attending to our communication with others, we are showing people something about how we understand what it means to be faithful to God.

     Thirdly, in understanding ourselves as having been given gifts by God as tools to build relationships, we are to use those tools in service of others. Our faith does little good in the world if it stays as a thought or feeling inside of us. Faith is to be expressed in the world. To be a doer of the word is to help create a world that looks like God wishes. That’s how Margaret Aymer describes a world shaped by God’s law... seeing things as God wishes. And, God wishes for the most vulnerable people in a community to be cared for. In the language of scripture, God calls for care for orphans and widows. These are people without relationships that will sustain their lives. To follow Christ is to build sustaining relationships. Blessings will come to those who live out this life-sustaining faith by being moved into action on behalf of neighbor.

     What are the relationships that are sustaining your lives these days? Who are you being called to listen to more patiently? What is God calling you to do in this moment? This present moment is one that requires great care, deep listening, and real relationships. I think James is a useful word in helping us navigate our current complexity. Because this is a moment that needs faithful doers of the word invest in care for those who need it most. May we remember that our faith is born out of holy generosity. And, may we cultivate a faith, with Christ, that grows more love and justice in this world. It is time to do something. Let us pay prayerful attention while we discern what that something is.
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Resources consulted while writing this sermon:
Margaret Aymer: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-22-2/commentary-on-james-117-27-6
Cain Hope Felder's introduction to James in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocryphya, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)