1:26
We now move to the tongue. Coincidentally, this is a topic that crops up in Proverbs on a number of occasions (21 occurrences of the word tongue). James uses the word “religion” here as well. We sometimes say “Christianity isn’t a religion”, meaning it isn’t just a matter of following a set of rules and rituals. James is not averse to using the word religion, but distinguishes between true and worthless religion. If our religion means anything, then we will be able to control our tongue, to control what we say.
1:27
James will have more to say about the tongue later, but here he makes another sudden jump, this time to looking after widows and orphans. Yet this isn’t really such a jump. What he has been doing much of this chapter is separating what is mere show and reality, eg “listening but not doing”. People who talk a lot rarely do a lot. God is more impressed with our actions than with our words, and looking after the poor is an action that God accepts as “pure and faultless”. But note that he also adds keeping “oneself from being polluted by the world”. The two must go together. There are a number of individuals and organisations that do a lot of good work among the poor, but whose “theology” is all over the place, even accepting all sorts of immoral behaviour (even in the name of “love”). We need both to care for the poor and to hold true to God’s word. Whichever of these is our weaker point is the one we need to pay attention to, and being strong on one side does not compensate for disobedience on the other.
No comments:
Post a Comment