Rev. Ann Pierce Arnett

James 2:8-13

You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.  For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  For the one who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but if you murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.  For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

 

Reflection

When I sit down and read through the Letter of James, it is clear that the community of faith is going through a seriously challenging time. The author, who recent scholars have come to believe may certainly be the brother of Jesus, is very clear that the decisions we make in our daily lives reflect what we believe about God, Jesus, and ourselves living in the community of faith.  James is concerned with how we behave if we believe it is God’s reality and God’s kingdom that we are living in. The letter concerns how each of us is united by common values as a result of our faith in Jesus, our Christ. There is no room for rivalry, competition or favoritism.  Rather James calls for attitudes of solidarity, mercy, and compassion for everyone in God’s kingdom in order to encourage cooperation and peace. For James then, the “faith” he proclaims shows up in the way in which we live – particularly how we love our neighbors as ourselves, which he calls the “royal law”, the whole law..

 

James was writing to the new growing communities of Jesus followers at the end of the first century, but there is a clear implication that he meant that the attitudes of mercy and compassion were not limited to their own  small communities. If God created the world – then everyone in the world was loved by God and was a member of God’s neighborhood.  Everyone! 

 

It must have been a challenge for the faithful to behave with that attitude. It’s a challenge for me today. How easy it is to get caught up in partiality – are they vaccinated? Do they live on my street? Do they vote the way I do? Do they ride the bus or drive a car? Are they older or younger? I think I’m nice to everyone. I don’t commit adultery or murder, but my thoughts are not always merciful or compassionate. And I know that there are those who don’t feel particularly partial to me either.  

 

But God… yes, it’s God through our spiritual guides, like James and Paul and Timothy and Isaiah and Micah and all the rest, who have walked the walk and talk the talk and love us enough to make it clear: we’re all in this together, we are all neighbors and we all need reminding.  We have an incredible kingdom we live in and a “royal law” to guide us as we make choices and decisions every day.  Let us look to our faith and do the works – every day.

 

Prayer: 

God of us all,  pray for us, save us from partiality and judgmental attitudes. Anoint us in your name to be your faithful people. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us.  Raise us up each day to care for each other as you have cared for us.  In the faith of Jesus, our Christ. Amen.