Scripture: James 1:10-11
Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away.
Thought for the Day: During the Great Reformation, Martin Luther suggested that the book of James was a straw epistle. As you can guess, Luther was not a fan. There are a host of reasons, but I would suggest that among them was the uncomfortable language used by James in regard to the wealthy. Though Martin Luther was hard on the institution of the church and its greed, he was also very dependent upon wealthy individuals to fund his work. As you can imagine, he was not well liked. He required protection. Do we ignore the tough and challenging language of James because of what appears to be a lack of grace…the grace that Martin Luther found in the Apostle. Paul? I would like to present an idea that is not entirely unique to me, but is a clear tension that I find in scripture. I would suggest that we are saved by grace, and we are judged by our works. For many, those appear antithetical and incompatible. For years, I would have agreed. Today, I think it is a necessary tension for Christians to uphold. Grace cannot be an excuse for wealth that ignores the plight of the poor. At the same time, our works cannot become tools by which some arrogantly claim special status before God. I believe James not only has an important place within Christian faith, but Protestants need to pull him off the back shelf a bit more often.
Prayer: Continue to remind me of your grace that frees me from fear, O Merciful Creator, and may this amazing gift be the inspiration by which I serve others with the grace I have received. Amen.
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