"True Religion”

This coming October more than four thousand exhibitors and nearly a quarter million visitors from fifty-five countries will gather for an event that you’ve probably never heard of. It’s the annual Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany. And it is not only the world’s largest book fair. It is also the oldest, dating back to 1478—which is barely a generation after Johannes Gutenberg first began to crank the gears of his printing press.

The book fair had been running for fewer than fifty years, when in 1522 a young scholar exhibited a book that would trigger a spiritual and political upheaval that would transform the world forever. The young man’s name—and perhaps you’ve guessed it already—was Martin Luther. And the book was the first edition of his freshly minted translation of the New Testament into the German language.

In addition to the text of the New Testament itself, Luther also wrote a brief introduction to each of its twenty-seven books. And here is what he wrote about the Letter of James, which has been the focus of our sermons since the beginning of the year: “St James’s epistle is really a right strawy epistle, compared to the others, for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it.”

It is clear that, initially at least, Luther was no great fan of this book of the Bible. Yet I hasten to add that he never questioned its divine inspiration. In fact he later deleted his rather dismissive comment from all subsequent editions of his translation of the New Testament.

James’s letter may not contain the gospel message in so many words. But that’s because it is the gospel in action. Rather than giving us an explanation of the gospel, James gives us its application. Perhaps we could summarize James’s message by another quotation ascribed to Martin Luther: “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

What I love about James is that he shoots straight from the hip. And that was perfectly natural, as James was not a scholar like Paul, who could speak the language of philosophers and theologians. But he was a man with a heart for prayer and a passionate desire to see the life of discipleship put into action amid the practicalities of everyday living.

And that was only natural, as James had grown up all his life around Jesus, his older brother. I sometimes wonder, Was James there listening as Jesus taught the crowds, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”? Did he share Jesus’ sorrow as that rich young man turned his back and walked away after being challenged to give his possessions to the poor? Was he looking on when Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers in the Temple? We’ll never know. But we do know for certain that he was one of those to whom Jesus made a point of appearing following his resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:7)

In later life James became known for his passion for justice, so that he is honoured to this day as “James the Just”. And he was so often found on his knees in worship before God and in prayer for his people that they affectionately dubbed him with the nickname “Camel Knees”, as it was said that his knees became as hard and callused as those of a camel.

In the two verses we’re focusing on this morning, James challenges us to concentrate our attention on three things: our words, our deeds and our thoughts.

Words – Bridling the Tongue

So first: our words. James is not alone in the Bible in giving a warning about how we use our tongues. Indeed what we read here is just one line in a whole chorus that can be found throughout the Bible:

• Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:4)

• The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth. (Proverbs 10:20)

• A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)

• The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint… Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Proverbs 17:27-28)

• A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not escape. (Proverbs 19:5)

• Do you see someone who is hasty in their words? There is more hope for a fool than for someone like that. (Proverbs 29:20)

• Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29)

• Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let them keep their tongue from evil and their lips from speaking deceit. (1 Peter 3:10)