Read with Me
James 2:14-17 (HCSB)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?
If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.
Listen with Me
James continues his theme of respect, compassion, and love shown to everyone, not just to those who seem to deserve love and respect by virtue of the positions and wealth they have achieved. That is the way of the world. But respect, compassion, and love are to be shown to all, even to the poorest of the poor. That is the way of the kingdom.
And this love that is shown is not to be simply an emotion or a feeling of compassion. God’s agape love is not a mere emotion. It is much more powerful and robust than that. It is always dynamic and active, shown by positive action toward the one loved, not just wanting good for them, but doing good for them. And that is the case even if the cost of doing that good is great.
These days, it is common to portray oneself as compassionate if one merely has feelings of compassion for the downtrodden and suffering. It was the same in James’ day. People would feel compassion for those in need, and would even bless them, wishing them well, and praying that their needs would be adequately supplied.
James says that for the people of the kingdom, that kind of compassion is basically worthless. It may make the one who is not in need feel virtuous, but it leaves the needy person in exactly the same place as they were before such empty compassion was shown. Even John the Baptist understood this, telling the crowd that had come to him, “The one who has two shirts must share with someone who has none, and the one who has food must do the same.” (Luke 3:11)
Most of the people he was talking to weren’t wealthy, with money in the bank. They were just plain people. But John pointed out that if they had even just a little more than they needed, a single extra cloak, or a little extra food, they had enough to share with someone who had a need, and thus they could show love in a concrete way.
James’ point is that the people of the kingdom had been given much. Now, in obedience to God’s command to love their neighbor as themselves, they were obligated to not just feel something, compassion, but to do something, show active agape love by sharing with those in need, and then trusting God to continue to provide for their own real needs.
Pray with Me
Father, you are absolutely right that, in our day as much as in James’ day, we have many who put form over substance, showing compassion by making speeches and urging action without giving sacrificially themselves. Many of these people, even though they have more than they need to meet their own basic needs, don’t see themselves as being able to give to make a positive difference. They believe that their feelings of compassion should be enough. Lord, help me to never be that person. Help me to not only feel compassion for the truly needy, but to also actively do compassion, to help meet their real needs. I may not be able to help everyone, but I can always help someone. Help me to do that today. Amen.