I'm really struck by this notion of Jesus' brother. Just think about it. Growing up with Jesus. Having him beat you at some kind of ancient Jewish kid's game -- kick ball or Yahtzee (that sounds sort of Jesus and ancient and like casting lots). I bet Jesus won all the time and when you did beat him you were always wondering if He let you win. It blows my mind away when I think of it in real terms and not just as a story in the Bible. Someone actually being a brother to the son of God. There'd be resentment, too. Jesus always doing things perfect. Your mom, Mary, telling you to be more like your brother, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
And then it hits me. We are His brother.
I know scholars have difficulty determining just who wrote the book of James. But I believe it was Christ's brother because of the language. James just sounds like Jesus. So much of what you read here sounds like the Sermon on the Mount. So much of the New Testament outside of the gospel are about doctrine and the church. James, like his brother Jesus, is more concerned about how we live.
Some really, really great stuff in this little book.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord...." [James 1:5-7]
This is why I think we see so few miracles today in America and in Middle Tennessee and the churches of Christ. We do not believe in them. We believe in miracles in the Bible and that God has the power to do miraculous things. But, even when we pray for someone to be healed, it is typically a prayer for the doctor's skill rather than God's miraculous healing. The exception to this seems to be when they are prayers for our loved ones. At any rate, I don't know why we think that God has gotten out of the miracle business. Because we don't see them? Because sometimes God's answer is "No" to our requests for miracles? I believe God can and does do whatever He wants. Without a doubt.
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." [James 1:27]
Don't get me started. In brief: one of the only scriptural reasons for collecting money in my reading of the Bible.
"Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement!" [James 2:12-13]
I try to be careful about judging someone else's religious beliefs and rejoice that they have them. I try to preach only Christ and let the rest of the world sort through the instrumental music/hair covering/drinking/divorce issues. I prefer in sermons we talk about what we do that isn't good rather than talk about what we've seen in other congregations. Why? Because I'm looking for a whole lot of mercy.
In Jude, I found the mention in the editor's notes that Jude includes references to "extrabiblical writings (the book of Enoch)" in his letter interesting. I've always wondered if we've got it all, all of what God intended to be in the Bible. And perhaps we had a book or two that He didn't intend to be there. I mean how many classes are taught from or sermons preached from the Song of Solomon?
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