Today and tomorrow, leading up to the start of Lent on Wednesday, our first readings are taken from the Letter of James. There is a refreshing directness about this letter. It does not beat around the bush, and it pulls no punches in calling Christians to order. The emphasis is very much on ‘doing’ – actions speak louder than words.
The letter is addressed to “the twelve tribes in the dispersion” (we say, “diaspora”), that is, to Jewish Christians scattered over the Mediterranean countries. James sends them greetings of joy. Despite what he is going to say, he is not to be seen as a pourer of cold water.
In today’s reading (James 1:1-11), James makes three related points. First, he begins his letter by greeting his readers as “brothers and sisters”. He does so 15 times in this short letter. He may need to rebuke them, but he does so in a spirit of fraternal love. Second, he tells them to pray for wisdom. Third, James reminds them that the poor have a special status in the eyes of God.
James urges his readers to see, in their trials as Christians, a source of joy: “… because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” We see the same message in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you … on my account.” (Matthew 5:11)
The trials mentioned in today’s reading are those that come from outside. In tomorrow’s reading, James will speak of the inner trials, the temptations to do wrong.
Nobody wants failure, humiliation, sickness, powerlessness, poverty, or inferiority of any kind; yet these, more than success and glamour, are what produce character and depth inside us. We do not have to go out of our way to look for such trials but, when they inevitably come, their long-term results can be beneficial, both for ourselves and others.
Nothing strengthens and matures one’s faith than having it challenged. When things go too easily, our faith becomes relaxed and weak. The Church is always strongest where it is the object of persecution and attack. We see that today in Nigeria and in Nicaragua. We should not be worried when the Church is attacked, but only when it is ignored. Then we really know that the salt has lost its taste.
Second, James tells us to pray for wisdom. Wisdom here is not something abstract and academic. It is not just a vast knowledge of Church doctrine. Rather it is a deep insight into how to live the Gospel and do God’s work. It is the gift to know that, even in suffering and setbacks, the love of God is guiding and strengthening us. For those who ask, wisdom will be given, simply and unreservedly. But wisdom needs to be asked for in faith, with a deep trust that God always wants the best for us.
We are not to be like a wave on the sea, driven here and there by popular winds. Paul tells us, in his letter to the Ephesians, that “… we must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind … [and] people’s trickery … but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:14-15)
This search for wisdom is to be done with confidence, sure that God will give this gift that we need to be followers of Jesus. While it gives us a certain self-confidence, it does not mean that we possess all the truth. But we know what we know, and we are ready to learn more. The vacillating person will not get anywhere. In times of trial, this wisdom is greatly needed so that we can respond in an appropriate way, in truth and love.
Third, James says that the poor man should be aware of his special status in the eyes of God: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3) With nothing of their own, their total dependence is on God. Throughout the letter the author reaffirms the teaching of Jesus that worldly prosperity is not a sign of God’s favor, as the people of the Old Testament, and even some of Jesus’ own disciples, tended to believe in their early days with Jesus (see Mark 10:24-26).
Remember the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19‑31). When the Rich Man dies, all his status and power evaporate, and all that he has left are the good things (or the evil) that he did. The truly rich are not those who have the most “stuff”, but rather those whose needs are the least. James will have a lot more to say to the poor and the rich as the letter proceeds.
In today’s short Gospel (Mark 8:11-13), The Pharisees demand a “sign from heaven” proving Jesus’ authority comes from God. Jesus refuses their request. They will not get a sign on their terms. Why should Jesus give them a special sign when his whole life is a sign of God’s loving presence among us. Ordinary people see this. Only the leaders refuse to see what is obvious. The leaders just watched Jesus feed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Signs are there in abundance, but the Pharisees cannot see them because they do not want to see them. Their blindness is a central theme to this part of Mark’s gospel.
We, too, need to be aware of our own blindness and our own failure to see the ‘signs’ of God’s love operating in our everyday lives.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!