James 2:8 – 9 “If you really keep the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.”
Levitcus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”
Matthew 19:19 …You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself.”
The caption for this devotional is taken from a billboard that appeared in several American cities a few years ago. Sadly, from recent events, it is obvious that people reading the billboard didn’t believe it was true. These days criticism is the rule and not the exception. Take any stance at all and someone is sure to attack and begin labeling on the flimsiest of evidence.
Human nature really hasn’t changed since James wrote this epistle. Experienced pastors read this book and think, “Oh yeah! This sounds familiar!”
James has already warned about discriminating against the poor and downtrodden and now he tackles the root of the problem of discrimination: self – centeredness and a refusal to extend to others the same love we have for ourselves. “But I don’t really love myself!” you might say. “I don’t like my hair, I’m over weight, I’m too short/too tall….” The list might be endless. But the question is this: In whose interest are you most likely to act, your own or someone else’s?
We are built to love ourselves. There is nothing wrong with loving yourself, just as long as you are willing to love others with as much passion and energy. The writer or Ephesians explains how we are supposed to love “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” But none of us really meet that standard.
Spoiler Alert: By ourselves, we CAN’T possibly love others to that depth. And as long as we are depending on our own efforts, we are going to continue to fail. No matter how much you might make up your mind to discipline your thoughts, sooner or later you will find yourself analyzing someone else critically. If you could see into your own heart and mind, you would find that you were discriminating – oh so subtly – but discriminating all the same.
“Well, if this is impossible, why did God give us this command in the first place?” you might ask in frustration. The answer is this: God knew that by ourselves, we would always blow it. But Jesus came to live and die as a man, shedding His blood for our sins so that we might be saved. What we cannot do by ourselves, the power of God CAN do. And this is the goal of James’ teachings.
It has been said that James was writing largely for Jewish believers who were used to following the Law in a works – based relationship with God. (“If I do this act, God, you have to give me _____.”) Throughout this epistle James is trying to help us realize that works alone are not enough; faith is also needed. But faith without works is also dead – theories that lead nowhere are worthless.To live the faith life as we should, we need to have the power of God in our lives; otherwise, we are bound to fail. The good news of the Gospel is that God has made His power available to us, if we will only ask.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you that we don’t have to attempt to live a faith life without you! You are the One who gives us the power to love. Lord, help us to love as you do, for you love the unlovable and those who do the unthinkable. Let that power that raised Jesus from the dead come into our hearts right now. Help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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