Faith Without Works

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?   Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  (James 2:14-24, 26)

All this week we have heard from James who wrote his letter after Mark but before Matthew, perhaps in the 70s or 80s.  Much of James is early tradition.  After reading him all this week, I have a much better appreciation for acting on our faith: "faith without works is dead."  His examples of works are focused on compassion such as clothing the naked and feeding the hungry.

He contrasts wisdom from above against earthly so-called wisdom marked by envy and selfish ambition all leading to disorder and wickedness of every kind.  He indicts the humanly created world of covetousness and violence.  We humans tend to covet things and people, and we tend to be violent through words and actions.

Very seldom is James preached in Church because it’s scandalous to much of today’s Christianity.   For example, he said: “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries.  Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.”  His words reflected the oppression of the poor by the rich in his day.

Marcus Borg gives us further insight into James.  He noted in his 2012 book “Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written” that James is controversial because many of us believe that works are not necessary – just faith.  In fact, Paul’s message was “justification by grace through faith.”

Martin Luther felt pretty much the same way: faith is all that is needed for salvation.  He wanted James to be removed from the New Testament.   What’s important to realize, however, is James echoes more sayings of Jesus than any other part of the New Testament other than the gospels themselves.  According to Borg, James' fiery passion for works reflects the passion of Jesus himself.

Today’s Gospel from Mark (8:34-9:1) supports Borg’s opinion: “Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them, ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it...”  Jesus demanded action.  His followers knew that.  We know it.

I end with this story to make Jesus’ point.  On a cold, rainy day a group of boys were making fun of a ragged, barefoot boy. “You’re a Christian,” they taunted him. “If God loves you, why doesn’t he take better care of you?  Why doesn’t he tell someone to give you a pair of shoes?”  The boy seemed puzzled for a moment.  Then, with tears in his eyes, he replied, “I think he does tell people.  But they are not listening.”

Here at Christ the King we do listen.  Our ears are opened though the actions of our Parish organizations.  There’s our Food Pantry that we hope to expand in the future to make it even more effective.  Many parishioners are generous with their time and money to help those in need.

Our faith is not dead at Christ the King.  It’s up to all of us to ensure it stays alive and is as fiery and passionate as the one we worship and follow every day by taking up his cross.

Deacon David Pierce