Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Proper 18
September 6, 2009
Text: James 2:1-17
By now we have checked out most of the people who have come to church this morning. To some we have given a closer look, to others we have given a passing glance. If we haven’t done so already, hopefully later on this morning we will introduce ourselves to those we do not know.
People watching is an activity that we all do – whether it is at the beach on vacation, waiting for a movie or a play to start, attending a football game, a band competition or some other activity. As we watch, we cannot help but make judgments – too big – too skinny, too scantily dressed – too over dressed, cute – ugly, is that her boyfriend? – is that his wife? In making our judgments, we show favoritism. We respond more favorably to one person rather than another person.
This happens in the church. Why should we expect anything else? Are we not an assembly of human beings. Our second reading this morning from the letter of James, however, reminds us that God is not the respecter of persons, meaning that God shows no partiality; God does not have His favorites.
During this past month, we members of the ELCA have been focused on the issue of homosexuality. We have been doing a “people-watching” of sort, at gays and lesbians, trying to make judgments about their behavior, whether it is sinful or not. The letter of James gives us a helpful perspective this morning, that of having God watching us. What does He see? With our imaginations, let us all gather behind God and see what He sees as he watches us.
There is a particular lens through which God watches us. James calls it the royal law, meaning the king of all laws. We know it as the two great commandments – you shall love the Lord your God above everything else; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Not to be sacrilegious, but imagine God with binoculars – through one lens He watches us regarding our love of Him; through the other lens He watches us regarding our love of each other. What does he see? – All sorts of sins.
Last Sunday in our Gospel reading, Jesus listed some of them – fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice (excessive greed – I had to look that one up), wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly.” Even though there was no “et cetera” at the end of the sentence, it was implied. Lists of sins in the Bible are not meant to be limiting, rather to be inclusive.
God’s royal law gives us a description of what human life is to be about. For us to have the life that God intends, we are to love God above everything else, and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Describing what life should be like, the Law therefore assesses, analyzes, judges whether we are alive in God or dead by its condemnation of us. This assessment is the law’s most important function. The law confronts us with our failure to be God’s children. In doing so it pronounces judgment. It condemns us. It literally kills us.
It has been said of the law: “At its friendliest, this guide dog is a domesticated wolf, and we cannot predict when it will spring on us with its deadly accusation and reduce us to guilt once again.” The Law always accuses us.
The Law has been described as the mirror that confronts us with the awful truth of how we look to our Creator. It shows our sinfulness.
We don’t like being shown our sinfulness – it makes us feel guilty. The Law shows our impotence – that we have lost control of our life.
To have God view us through the lenses of His Law, is uncomfortable, threatening and frightening. We don’t want this scrutiny. We don’t want the truth of God’s law to be on us.
In our fear, we will try to change God’s law – to make not a sin what God has declared to be a sin. We may call our sins mistakes. We may blame someone else for our sinning. At times we have even made the culture an ally in our redefining of a sin.
Take for example the sin of divorce. The Bible speaks very clearly against divorce. However, just about every family has someone in it that is divorced. We all know of any number of people who are divorced. Your pastor will soon be divorced. Does the acceptance by the culture now make divorce not a sin?
God shows no partiality. No particular sin offends God more or less than another. The Law will forever accuse us of the smallest of sins to the biggest of sins.
Though it is uncomfortable, threatening and frightening to be under the Law of God, this is where God wants us to be. For, as James said in his letter this morning, the royal law of God is also the Law of liberty, meaning that mercy triumphs over judgment.
The Law of God accuses and condemns us for a purpose – that we might flee in dread or be driven in despair to Jesus Christ. Luther described sin as “being curved in upon ourselves,” the self-enveloping fetal position.” Our sin turns us into our selves as if we were looking for life within us. But coerced and enticed to Christ by our guilt and impotence, we are led to the cruciform shape of life in the out-stretched arms of Jesus hanging on a cross. There, repenting of our sins, we receive forgiveness and new life from God.
The law cannot give us life. It can only confront us with our failure to be God’s children. In doing so it pronounces judgment. As the Law dogs our steps throughout our life, it turns easily from guide dog to wolf. But against this devouring law stands Jesus Christ, God in human flesh. He was delivered into the jaws of the Law and death, so that He might give life to God’s repentant children.
God’s royal law ultimately becomes a law of liberty, by leading us to our Savior Jesus Christ. He frees us from our sin by giving us forgiveness and new life. The Law is our judgment, but in Jesus Christ God makes it to be that His mercy triumphs over our judgment.