Ordinary Time Week 15

Psalm: Psalm 125 or Psalm 146 
Old Testament: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
  or Isaiah 35:4-7a 
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37 
Epistle: James 2:1-10, 11-13, 14-17

I am really enjoying reading through James the last few weeks. The author presents everything in a clear picture and always seems to be dealing with the practical issues of how we are to live. Today is no different. He begins with the exhortation not to so favoritism. The Church, or its individual members, shouldn't be partial to the rich, the powerful, the beautiful, or the strong. The worlds way of engaging in relationship is to ask what can I get out of the relationship. What can this person do for me? If I'm seen with that person will I be judged a certain way? But the way of the Kingdom is the exact opposite; the question is what can I do for them. Or maybe a better question is what is God already doing in them? Rich or poor, strong or weak, beautiful or plain, we are all created in the image of God and called to reflect that to creation. If the church engages in its relationships the same ways as the world, then it is no different from any social club and it fails to honor Christ. James reminds us also that God seems to be in the business of lifting the lowly, the poor, and the down-trodden

This idea is also in our passage from Proverbs today:

Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
Or crush the afflicted at the gate;
For the Lord will plead their case
And take the life of those who rob them. (22:22-23)

The messages runs right through the whole Old and New Testament. The examples are too numerous to even lift, but even a very shallow reading of the Bible will show that God takes an interest in the poor and the weak.

Returning back to the Epistle of James, the author then discusses the fact that if we transgress one statute of the Law, we are in fact transgressing the whole Law. I'm not sure the point James is trying to make here because it would seem like everyone has transgressed at least one part of the Law at some point. In fact that may be what he is getting at because later he says, "For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." (13) So despite our transgressions of the Law, we also will be shown mercy rather than judgment if we show mercy as well.

All of these actions and things James is exhorting his readers to do can be summed up in the same verse we quoted last week, "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself." (17) The exhortation is to do something. The Kingdom of God should always change how we live. And the place where James immediately brings it is to acts of mercy and service. He brings it back to the issue of how we treat people and not showing favoritism. Christians cloth the poor, feed the hungry, and other acts of service to those in need and to those who can't necessarily offer anything in return. In fact, we shouldn't even except anything in return! Our actions are not to receive some type of reward or recognition, but they flow out of what God has done for us and our love for him.

The Good News of Christ's love is not just for us to receive it, but it is also for us to share it and show it to others without partiality. May we work diligently at our task of service to the Lord.

Grace and Peace.