20240128

beyond politeness

James 2:12-16 (JDV)

James 2:12 Speak and act as those who are to be judged by the law of freedom.
James 2:13 You see, judgment is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have results? Can such faith save him?
James 2:15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food
James 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?

beyond politeness

James had been encouraging his readers to treat the poor with politeness and not show prejudice against them in their assemblies. Now he is notching up the proclamation a bit. Now he encourages his readers to show mercy to the poor — to give them what they need. True Christian faith does more than simply wish the poor to say warm and well-fed. It passes out coats and bags of food, jobs, and houses.

Too often we Christians settle for politeness toward the poor, and then walk away from them, leaving them in their poverty. We can do better than that. The pagans can do that. We need to go beyond politeness and be agents of true compassion.