THURSDAY

James 2:1-18

Yesterday, we noticed that while the person who asked Jesus a question about living the life of the kingdom actually got the answer right when Jesus tossed the question back to him, it was in the follow-up question that things got more challenging. Our definition of neighbor (those living around us, and who we may think of as different from us in some way) had to be reexamined! In a culture that too often tends toward drawing distinctions between “us” and “them,” the understanding of “neighbor” that Jesus suggested has profound implications! Scripture not only challenges us to rethink what we might mean by “neighbor,” but it also invites us to rethink what we mean by “family” as well. Once again, it’s not enough to just get the right answer to the question (as did the person asking Jesus the question in yesterday’s reflection), but we also need to take the “practice” part seriously as well, which involves how we actually treat each other. Today’s Scripture reading from the letter of James invites us to consider this. As you take a few moments to reflect on what he writes, consider the following questions as well:

• What are some of the ways that the social circles we are in, or the resources we may have, impact the way we relate to each other?

• Can you think of ways that those who have “more” have advantages, or may be related to differently, compared to those who have “less”? (This might be unintentional or even unconscious, but still might be “baked into” the way we live alongside each other in our communities or even our churches)

• How do you think James would have responded if those who had “more” complained about those who had “less” seeming to get preferred treatment because of their condition? (i.e., “Why should they get to sit there when I was the one who paid for that seat and they contributed nothing?”)

• What is the definition of “family” that James seems to be arguing for in this letter? Why is this an important part of discerning God’s will and how God leads?

• Are there ways that you observe, or perhaps even participate in, that help create the conditions James is talking about in the passage? How can you respond to this?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what is surfacing for you as you reflect on this passage.