National Junior High Sunday 2015
“Faith without works is outrageous nonsense,” based on James 2:14 – 17 (The Message)
Bible Study
by Dana Cassell
14-17Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
The book of James has a complicated history in the Church. It may be the earliest writing we know of from the early church, written even before Paul’s letters to the scattered church communities, but it’s also possible that it was written later than all the rest of those books. We’re not sure. What we do know is that James is very concerned with how his readers are LIVING. While Paul, in his letters to the first church communities, often emphasizes BELIEF in a life of faith, James is clear that action is just as important.
This passage from chapter two is typical of James’ perspective. “If you see a friend dressed in rags and hungry,” he says, “speaking platitudes to him will change nothing. Being a follower of Jesus means taking action to address the needs of others.”
In the early 1500s, the great Protestant reformer Martin Luther began to point out some big problems with the ways the church was doing things, and worked to change it. At that time, the Church was operating almost like a business – selling something called “indulgences,” which people could pay for in order to receive forgiveness for their sins. Luther argued that sins were only forgiven by faith alone – that nothing we could DO could earn our salvation. Since the book of James emphasized a lot of DOING, Martin Luther didn’t like it much. He famously called it “an epistle of straw,” and in the centuries since then, the church has argued about which is more important: faith or works.
Actually, if you read James’ letter carefully, you see that he never claims action to be more important than belief. Instead, he makes sure his readers know that simply believing something is not the full extent of faith. Read chapter 1: James says that we are to be hearers AND doers of the word. Both believing and acting are important parts of life with Jesus.
If you keep reading (try reading the whole book – it’s not that long!), you’ll find a lot of other fiery and controversial things, things that might even be more applicable (and more disturbing) than 500-year old controversies about biblical legitimacy. James says some striking things, especially about money: “Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire." (James 5:1-3). He talks about the sin of dishonoring the poor, and the evil of exploiting workers. James is not pulling any punches, and what he says might really upset us if we find ourselves on the side of the rich instead of the poor. If we believe in following Jesus, he says, then our lives will show it, in radical, compassionate, world-changing ways. Believing without acting is “outrageous nonsense.”
Take some time to think about whether you are rich or poor. Do a little research about the average household income around the world. Find out where you stand. Do you believe Jesus’ words that the poor are blessed (Luke 6:20)? Do you profess faith in God who is a refuge for the oppressed (Psalm 9:9), who secures justice for the poor (Psalm 140:12)? Is your God-talk backed up with God-acts? Or are you spouting outrageous nonsense?
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