This Is What Jesus Would Do ~ James 2:1-17 ~ Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ September 9, 2012

In the late 90’s, a sensation was sweeping the nation, at least among Christians: the WWJD, or ‘what-would-Jesus-do’ wristband.  In my high school, you’d find one on every Christian’s wrist—except for me.  I had one but I never wore it—because it was itchy...

Yet I could never argue the fact the wristbands served as great reminders to walk with God throughout the day—not to mention that they were a way for others to hold you accountable, should you do something that Jesus wouldn’t do.

They were even great conversation starters for sharing the faith.

So what would Jesus do?  Sometimes, that question can be very difficult to answer.  But God’s Word from the book of James makes very clear what God demands of all who believe.

Genuine faith is expressed in good works.

The Bible is very clear that our good works do not save us; that we are saved by God’s grace through faith.  But James does not contradict Scripture in teaching that good works are the fruit of a living faith.  When we are drawn into the reality of Christ’s love for the whole world, we are compelled to love our neighbors as we ourselves are loved by Jesus.

And James is very specific in terms of who we are to serve: and this is the point where James’ teachings become very challenging.

We are not to show favoritism by only serving certain people, while neglecting others.  And here’s why: whenever the opportunity comes along to do good for someone else, there will always be that temptation to do so in pursuit of something for ourselves.  And there will always be certain peoples with the means to reward us for serving them.

James puts this in practical terms when he speaks of a congregation welcoming a rich person into their church and giving them a seat of honor.  Their “serving” may be rewarded with a substantial monetary contribution. 

Yet when Jesus’ love fills our hearts and our minds, we don’t play favorites.  We don’t seeing people for what we can get from them.  Instead we recognize that every person is loved by Jesus Christ—and not because of what they have to offer him; or even because they are worthy of such a love, but because Jesus is gracious.  Behind all the labels and the gossip; amid the circumstances and hardships of life, there is a person who is precious in Jesus’ sight; a person for whom he gave his life.  And when one of those precious ones suffers need of any kind, Jesus’ heart burns with compassion.

Today, God brings good news to the poor—the poor of means; the poor of health; the poor of self-worth, and the poor of faith...

The words of James remind us—as do Jesus’ own words throughout the Gospels—that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor.  And it’s not because the poor are morally superior to the rich, or even because the poor are more deserving...  God has chosen the poor because of their tremendous need.  And it is God’s delight to bind up brokenness of the poor ones, wipe their tears away, and give to them the life their souls have always longed for and never found. 

At the end of the day, the truth is that we are all poor.  Any earthly treasures and personal successes count for nothing in the next life.  We’re all sinners.  We’re all broken and lost creatures.  Yet we are loved.

Serving the poor is our duty—so to love others as we ourselves are loved.  All that we are to seek is to glorify our Savior by meeting our neighbors’ needs.  If we serve only those who reward us, or if we choose to ignore the cries of the poor, we’re taking the precious gifts of God for granted.  What good is Jesus’ love to us if it doesn’t make us loving?  Faith is dead if we are not participating in Christ and his work.

But when we do participate in Christ, we come alive—because we are taking part in his healing of the world.  We have the opportunity to give life to those in darkness; to participate in miracles that transform lives.

We don’t have the power to take away people’s hurts and fix everything that’s wrong in their lives.  But we can love graciously—just as Jesus loves them.  And this is enough to turn the tide against all the evils and pains that enshroud God’s people in darkness.  This is enough to make God’s promises real to a world in such great need of hope.

It can be very difficult to believe in grace; to believe that we are saved by Christ’s righteousness alone and not by our own good works. 

So to know a gracious God more fully, and to understand the meaning of salvation by grace, let us go forth and practice grace by serving and loving all who are poor of health, wealth, or faith...  Let us go forth to meet a gracious Savior in our neighbors in need.  Let us go forth to love others as graciously and as mercifully as we ourselves are loved.

Let’s go forth to serve the poor.  This is what Jesus does.