James 1:1-8 – Trials and Wisdom
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to
the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials on many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you
should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will
be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the
one you doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That
person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such is person is
double-minded and unstable in all they do.”
The majority of scholars consider the author of this
letter to be the James, the brother of Jesus. There is significance is
how he opened his letter. James was not one of the twelve disciples and not a
follower during Jesus’ ministry on earth. (The James who was one of the twelve
was the son of Zebedee.) James, the author of this letter came to follow his
brother after the resurrection of Jesus. In the opening of his letter, he called
himself a servant – a servant of his brother. When the author identified himself,
he also presented a picture of humility, yet without boasting about it. He
recognized, that although Jesus was his earthly brother, he was now his
heavenly brother – his Lord. This took humility.
James continued the
opening with an address to the “twelve tribes.” This phrase once referred to
the actual Twelve Tribes of Israel – God’s chosen nation. But ten of the tribes
were scattered centuries prior – along with the other two. However, the former
are unaccounted for. The point, or parallel, that James is making is that the
current followers of Jesus who have been scattered (from Jerusalem), due to
persecution from Rome as well as religious leaders, are like the original
Twelve Tribes when scattered centuries prior. It is now a reference to the new
nation, the Kingdom of God. This is important in that the followers
(Christians), of the First Century were of Jewish and non-Jewish (Gentile),
heritage. Now, their heritage is one in Jesus – the shared bond the Apostle
Paul describes in his letter to the church in Ephesus (see Ephesians 4:1-13).
After the opening salutation, James immediately provides
encouragement (verses 2-4). Before examining his support it is important to
understand further the magnitude of the cultural setting. For over one-hundred
years the Roman Empire had taxed Jewish farmers to a point that many of them had
to mortgage their land just to pay the totalitarian government. And that was
not enough, which resulted in many farmers driven to poverty as they lost their
land. Those who lived outside the city walls and within Jerusalem were not
affected as severe, but the financial pressures caused many to live in
substandard and stressed means. In addition, many religious leaders continued
to burden and distress Christians which included a life-threatening
environment. This oppressive rule and atmosphere continued into the early first
century, when Jesus was on earth, and into the mid-first century when James
wrote his letter.
Therefore, when the Christians read the opening words:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials on
many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces
perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything, …” there was an immense depth of meaning. Many
of them had been alive during the time Jesus was crucified. His faith to God
the Father is what brought them salvation and assured hope in the eternal promise
of which their Messiah had spoken. Jesus completed his task on the Cross. James
encouraged the believers of the day to “… let perseverance finish its work so
that [they] may be mature and complete …”
Many times when this
passage has been read by modern preachers and teachers, the first-century
aspect seems to be overlooked and is read from a democratic free-world point of
view – where the high majority of Christians do not face the persecution that
was prevalent in the first century. But – it should be viewed from a global
point of view – and more so from a Kingdom point of view. Yes, any trial endured
– whether health, finances, education, vocation, etc. – is important to God,
because he is the loving God. These trials, through faith, can also produce perseverance.
But James wrote of direct persecution for a person’s faith in Jesus. So then,
the question for the modern Christian who lives in a free society is: how does
this passage directly relate? The letter to the Ephesians provides the answer.
As one body, one church and united in one Kingdom through Jesus, any Christian
throughout the world suffers when one or a group of our brothers and sisters are
directly persecuted in a nation – or nations – that oppress(es) Christians.
Thousands upon thousands of Christians are tortured and executed for their
faith each year. This should cause believers throughout the world and in a free
society to mourn and pray. And as Jesus taught, we are to “love [our] enemies
and pray for them that persecute [us].” (Matthew 5:44) Also, believers have a connection with Jesus that is
eternal. It is this connection which gives the believer joy. Since Jesus
suffered and was persecuted, the believer should considered it a joy to share
in the same or similar.
Though the modern Christian does not face physical
persecution in places of religious freedom, there are currently pressures from
governments, corporations and places of education to subdue our faith. To speak
of our faith in some work-places is frowned upon even to the point of
disciplinary action. The indoctrination of certain world-views and lifestyles contrary
to what the Bible teaches are taught in schools despite the opposition of
Christian parents. In parts of the U.S., police and fire chaplains have been
ordered not to end a prayer “in Jesus name,” or face termination. Therefore,
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials on
many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces
perseverance.”
James completes the
phrase, “… so that [they] may be mature and complete,” with “… not lacking
anything.” He reveals one aspect of the anything in the next sentence.
And since it was just one, it seems reasonable to conclude it is the most
important – wisdom. He wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault.” This added further
encouragement to the Christians of the time and should as well currently – this
is straight-forward. The clause “without finding fault” seems to either elude
to or reference the mercy and grace God provides as he sees the Christian
through the lens of Jesus – no fault (see
Ephesians 1:7-10). Or it could mean the fault is doubt as the
passage added, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt. (Or it could
be both.) The latter brings to memory Mark 9:14-29 when a man with a possessed
son asked him to heal his son, but then asked to help him in his unbelief – in
his doubt. God is so generous, that even if we doubt he can gives us the faith
to then ask for wisdom. James emphasized the importance of wisdom with imagery
a first century person would find compelling. He states that, “because the one
who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” Two images
come to mind. One, when Jesus calms the storms after the disciples fear for
their lives and doubt (see Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25). Jesus
told them they were to go to the other side of the lake – but they doubted. In
the first and subsequent centuries the sea – especially a storm – was
equivalent to chaos. When the Apostle John wrote in Revelation, “… and there
was no more sea,” he used the same imagery – one day there will be no more
chaos (see Revelation 21:1). To the first century Christians, being told that
doubt equates to chaos would have sunk deeply into their hearts in a convicting
manner. James continued, “That person would not receive anything from the
Lord.” Chaos and order cannot exist at the same time; therefore, James wrote,
“Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” We need the
wisdom of God in order to navigate through the chaos of this world. We need his
wisdom to persevere in times of trouble and persecution. We need his wisdom to stand
up for our faith in the same way Jesus remained on the cross for our
iniquities. Thank the Lord for his wisdom, mercy and grace.
(This devotion is not exhaustive but I believe touches the major points of this passage.)
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