Haikus and Humble Hermeneutics: James, Chapter 5

I have. SO MUCH. to learn. No sooner had I finished writing my prayer for humility instead of selfishness after finishing James 4 than I walked away from the computer and realized I had offended my husband, and been very selfish with my time. I had intended to spend some time relaxing with my husband after putting the children to bed, but instead I became very self-centeredly distracted at the computer for 3 hours. (I am notoriously bad at time management, and then there's the neglect of realizing how much time actually elapses while I'm preoccupied with something.  This is not a new problem for me, but I don't have time to discuss it here. :) ) With that said, let me assure you that I in no way think I have mastered any of these instructions of Scripture just because I have turned them into haikus. And yet, I know that meditating on Scripture is never time wasted.  So here is my confession that I much too easily can turn even a "good thing" into a selfish pursuit, any time that it is done at the expense of, and lack of concern for, others.
  
Moving right along, I would hate to finish this letter of James with any encouragement of any kind of works-based righteousness (the idea that we can be justified before God because of anything we can do).  From reading through James and balancing it with the rest of Scripture, I believe that our works, similar to baptism, are meant to be an outward evidence to others of an inward commitment to God.  Our works are vitally necessary in showing our faith to others (James 2:18-19), but it is our faith in the promise of God, fulfilled in Jesus, that will justify us.  Please consider this from Galatians 3:2-22:

"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now going to be made complete by the flesh [human effort]? ...For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written: Everyone who does not continue doing everything written in the book of the law is cursed. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith. ...Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed [Jesus] to whom the promise was made would come. ...Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law. But the Scripture has imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

So then, the law was given to us because of our sin, to show us the inadequacy of all our works before God, pointing us to dependence on faith in the promise of Jesus.  We can do no good thing to make us righteous before God.  All of us have fallen short, and we will not be justified before God apart from faith in His mediator with us--Jesus. We can be assured of this from Romans 3:10-31:

“'None is righteous, no, not one; ...no one does good, not even one.' ...For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  ...Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law."

Yes, we uphold the Law because Jesus upholds the Law:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  ...Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:17-20)

So while I readily admit that I have a long way to go in obedience to the commands of Jesus, I also freely admit my dependence on Christ and His Spirit within me for a righteousness that surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees (they were the ones esteemed as righteous in that day for holding to the letter of the Law, yet they were condemned by Jesus for having only external (works-based) righteousness; see Matthew 23:27-28).  I am so gratefully reminded throughout the old and new testaments that only Jesus the Messiah was able to, and did, perfectly fulfill the Law (FULFILL it, not just appear to be externally righteous).  And, Jesus' work on the cross is the only work that has true eternal significance. In heaven, millions of angels, elders, and creatures sing of Jesus' work for all eternity (Revelation 5:7-14). His work is utterly amazing, causing the elders of heaven to fall down in worship. Mine is not worthy to fall in the same sentence. My works will always fall short, either in action or motivation (see the rest of Matthew 5), but the fruit of the Spirit will always result in obedience to Jesus (1 Peter 1:1-2).
 
Again, Lord, please let me not be found to be just a hearer of your word, but rather a doer of it. Let it work in and affect every part of my life, to the glory of your name.  Amen.

The last chapter of James...

Verse 1
Come now, you rich, weep
And howl for the miseries
Coming upon you

2-3
Your wealth is ruined
And your clothes are moth-eaten,
Your gold corroded

3
Their corrosion will
Testify against you and
Eat your flesh like fire

3 (continued)
It is in the last
Days that you have stored up and
Hoarded your treasure!

4
Look! The pay that you
Withheld from the workers who
Reaped your fields cries out

4 (continued)
The outcry of the
Harvesters has reached the ears
Of the Lord of Hosts

5
You have lives on earth
In luxury and led a
Self-indulgent life

5-6
You have fattened your
Hearts in the day of slaughter,
And you have condemned

6
You have murdered the
Innocent, righteous man, who
Did not resist you

7
Therefore, be patient,
Brothers, as you wait for the
Coming of the Lord

7 (continued)
See how the farmer
Waits for the earth to yield its
Valuable crop

7 (continued)
He is patient with
It until it receives the
Fall and spring rains

8
You, too, be patient,
Strengthen your hearts, for the Lord's
Coming is at hand

9
Don't grumble against
One another, brothers, that
You may not be judged

9-10
Look! The judge stands at
The door! Follow the prophets
As an example:

10
They were patient in
Suffering as they spoke in
The name of the Lord

11
We count as blessed those
Who have endured. You have heard
Of Job's endurance

11 (continued)
And you have seen the
Outcome of the Lord's dealings
With him in the end:

11 (continued)
The Lord is very
Full of pity, compassion,
And tender mercy

12
Above all, do not swear
Oaths by heaven, by earth, or
By anything else

12 (continued)
Let your "yes" mean yes
And your "no" mean no, so you
Will not be condemned

13
If any of you
Are in trouble, pray; if you
Are happy, sing psalms

14
Is any one of
You sick? He should call for the
Elders of the church

14 (continued)
Let them pray for him,
Anointing him with oil in
The name of the Lord

15
And the prayer offered
In faith will heal and restore
The one who is sick

15 (continued)
The Lord will raise him
Up, and if he has sinned, he
Will be forgiven

16
Confess your sins to
Each other and pray for one
Another; be healed

16 (continued)
The effectual
Fervent prayer of a righteous
Man has great power

17
Elijah was a
Man like us, subject to like
Passions as we are

17 (continued)
He prayed that it would
Not rain, and it did not for
Three and a half years

18
Then he prayed again,
And heaven gave rain, and the
Earth produced its crops

19
If any among
You wanders from the truth and
Someone turns him back,

20
Let him know that he
Who turns a sinner from the
Error of his way

20 (continued)
Will save him from death
And will cover over a 
Multitude of sins