James: More GraceSample

James writes as a humble servant of his Lord. But who is he addressing?

As we read on, it seems that James is writing to one particular congregation that he knows well. It is true that James tends to speak truths in pithy general terms – that is his style. But every so often it becomes obvious that James is writing to one specific church family, for he clearly knows all about their particular issues and problems.

For example, ‘… you have dishonoured the poor’ (2:6), James writes. James also knows the details of how rich people are currently oppressing these believers by exploiting them, dragging them into court and blaspheming the name of Christ (2:6–7). James knows too about certain wealthy landowners who are failing to pay the wages of the workers who have mowed their fields (5:4).

Perhaps most revealing of all, James tells this congregation, ‘Not many of you should become teachers’ (3:1). This is not standard New Testament advice to believers. There is something clearly very wrong with this church and James knows about it.

• Interestingly, what are the first two things James says about these believers (1:1)?

In Old Testament times, God chose a nation made up of twelve tribes to be his own people. Now God’s people are made up of all those who believe in Jesus; every Christian is a member of the ‘twelve tribes’ now. And we are certainly not ‘home’ with Christ yet.

James may just mean that his readers are the people of God, scattered far from their real home. Later he will ask them to remember ‘our father Abraham’ (2:21), so perhaps James is writing to converted Jews who had once lived in Jerusalem but have had to move away.

But possibly these opening words convey something more too. ‘… the twelve tribes scattered’ is a phrase that describes God’s Old Testament people at a particular time of their history. God scattered these tribes among the nations in judgment at the time of the exile. God did this because of his people’s spiritual adultery and sinful behaviour.

We will find that there are a number of similarities between the church James is addressing and Israel back then. James will call these believers spiritual adulterers and he will speak to them about the danger of God’s judgment.

It may just be that this phrase is the first note in James’ spiritual wake-up call to these believers.

Pray

Thank God for the privilege of being part of his chosen people. Pray you would be faithful to him.