22. Good Deeds

Meditations in James: 22 :  Faith needs good deeds

Jas 2:15,16 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

Yesterday we laid down the foundation for working through what James is saying by considering what faith is and how it comes. We started by suggesting that in fact this is some of the most vitally needed truth for the church in the twenty-first century if we are to avoid being church in name only. In the meditation we saw that faith needs to have a ‘doing’ element in it for it to be true faith, otherwise it remains simply a mind thing, a dead thing, lifeless and meaningless.

In our verses today James provides an illustration from church life to show how faith without action is a meaningless thing. Perhaps this is better explained if we first consider Jesus’ teaching on caring for one another: “Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22:37-39). Loving your ‘neighbour’, anyone near you, was a central core teaching and came a very close second to loving God.  To his disciples, Jesus added, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (Jn 13:34), implying a sacrificial love that lays down its life for others. If we weren’t sure about it, he repeats it: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:12,13) Now there is no room for doubts or questions about this; it is quite specific – love others as you would like to be loved, and let your love be sacrificial.

Now the point is emphasized by the apostles. Paul wrote, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Gal 6:10) and John later wrote, “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” (1 Jn 3:17,18). Now even if there was any question about loving outsiders, and there isn’t, there can be no question whatsoever about loving other Christians. Moreover John hasn’t given us any grounds to make excuses when he said If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need and similarly now, James refers to a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. These two apostles place the situation well and truly in front of us with these two clear references to love being expressed in very practical and tangible ways – especially in the church.

Let’s spell it out even more. Yesterday, we saw that real faith has a practical ‘doing’ aspect to it. Now we are considering Jesus, John and James saying that practical ‘doing’ aspect is to be first and foremost expressed to those in need closest to you. Paul was most specific about this: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8). The ‘love command’ that Jesus gave (Jn 13:34 – see above) is to be worked out in very practical ways. If you don’t care for and look after those who are closest to you, you are not fulfilling or obeying the command to love which is at the heart of the Faith.

James rubs the point in even more. There is no point in saying “I wish you well” without doing something about it. Pious words don’t help put food in a person’s stomach or clothes on their back. In a day when, in our country, the State provides ‘benefits’ for many people, we might think that our obligation under this teaching is removed. Surely, we think, they have food and clothing, so I don’t need to worry about them. Hold on, the basic teaching was Love your neighbor as yourself. If you love yourself you want to care for yourself and not in a most minimalistic way. Is it loving to see some one just getting by when you have plenty?

So let’s summarise what we have been saying. Jesus and the apostles taught that we are to care for one another and provide for one another when there is need. Faith is responding to God’s word which, in this case, came through Jesus, John and James, not merely giving mental assent to it, but actually responding in practical ways so that others in the church who have little benefit from our plenty. Faith is ‘doing’ and doing means practical help for those who need it. May we be that sort of church!