THE RESPONSE TO FAITH: LIVE IT!14th Sunday after Pentecost(Ordinary Time)

30th August 2015

How is the world today?

Fallen…. Corrupted…. sinful

James 1: 17-27• 1:17 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.

• 1:18 In fulfillment 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.

• 1:19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;

• 1:20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.

• 1:21 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.

Quick contemplation…James - our whole-hearted, consistent, comprehensive devotion to God – requires a particular kind of life and character.

God the Father brought us into being in an act of perfectly free giving, so we -- “a kind of first fruits of his creatures” -- display God’s own changeless goodness and generosity by:

1. Truthfulness,2. Humility, 3. Gratitude, 4. Patience, 5. Steadfastness, and 6. Generous provision for those who depend on us.

Quick contemplation…Speech is so easy, so fast, and so very hard to control = James sees it as the test case for genuine faithfulness.

You cannot casually insult your neighbor (who is, like you, made in God’s own image) and presume to be approved by God.

You cannot give voice to God’s wrath out of your own irritation at another.

By the same token, merely listening to divine teaching without putting it into effect shows that you have not benefited from God’s commands; you remain a half-hearted, unstable semi-believer.

James 1: 17-27• 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not merely

hearers who deceive themselves.

• 1:23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror;

• 1:24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.

• 1:25 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.

• 1:26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

• 1:27 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.

Quick contemplation…Doing: A natural RESPONSE to believing

Not Works in general…. But specific matters to be considered…

James instructs his readers that truly to hear the word, truly to live in the power of the Word, involves actually putting it into effect.

He compares us humans looking at the mirror to check our hair / attire, then immediately look again because we did not grasp the perception at the first glance with the abiding, true self-knowledge that comes from hearing and practicing the law.

James’s goal, here, is not simple adherence to the Word, but the kind of ingrained habitual knowledge that comes from repetition and practice.

Quick contemplation…Pure and undefiled religion, according to James, is this:

1. Caring for orphans and widows in their distress2. Keeping oneself unstained from the world

That's it.

3. Actions taken on behalf of the less fortunate, the most vulnerable members of society, singled out for special consideration.

4. Believers are supposed to be careful to avoid participation in practices contrary to their Christian ethic.

What then therefore shall we do?

HOW?

Allow our FAITH to be seen through what we do:

1. For others;2. For ourselves

How then shall we live?

Knowing our IDENTITY:“First fruits of God”

Therefore….