Wednesday, July 29, 2026

Opening Scripture

A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear. Matthew 13:3-9

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for rest and the promise of a new day. I praise You for Your loving kindness, Your thoughtful provision, and Your comforting presence. Help my hope and security be in You today, not in what I do, or what I have, or what others think. May Your Spirit guide me in the way I should go. Help me to appreciate Your blessings and see You at work around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

James 2

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Reflection  

In today’s passage, James begins by condemning prejudice and preferential treatment. The Greek word translated “favoritism” (prosópolémpsia) literally means “receiving the face.” It refers to responding to a person based solely on his outward appearance. That partiality or prejudice is centered on an individual’s external looks rather than intrinsic worth.

God’s people are commanded to be fair and treat everyone equally. “Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike” (Deuteronomy 1:17). “To show partiality in judging is not good” (Proverbs 24:23). “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes” (Deuteronomy 10:17).

Our equal respect and impartiality toward all people reflect God’s divine character. Everyone has innate value, yet all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone matters, yet all need to be saved by grace through faith, regardless of social standing or economic status.

James calls out any type of unequal treatment or bias based on appearance with the question, “Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” Don’t judge a book by its cover.

To make his point even further, James paints both poor and rich with a rather large brush. He declares that God has chosen the “poor” (ptóchos) to be “rich” (plousios) in faith and heirs of the kingdom He promised to those who love Him. In contrast, the “rich” are the ones oppressing you, dragging you into court, and blaspheming the name of Jesus.

Well, when you put it that way…

Spiderman’s Uncle Ben was right. With great power comes great responsibility.

In yesterday’s reading, James stated, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Today, he asks, “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

During the time that James was a leader in the “Mother Church” in Jerusalem, many of the Jewish Christians there were poor. There was at least one significant famine in that part of the world, and followers of Jesus were often persecuted and oppressed by the community.

We understand that “poor” is a relative term. The experience of being “poor” varies by culture and by community. It is unproductive to compare poverty in America to the poverty that exists in the deserts of West Africa or the jungles of Costa Rica. In those places, there is no “safety net.” There is no welfare or public assistance. There are no restaurant bins or dumpsters to dive in. Health care and resources are scarce. Famine is deadly and affects entire communities.

“Orphans and widows” represent all who are oppressed, overlooked, and unable to help themselves. The needs are great and all around us. While we may not be able to “cure,” we can (and should) “care.” James encourages us to reject the world’s values and, instead, esteem the vulnerable. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

Finally, here is our friend Rahab the prostitute again! Both Hebrews and James present her as a model of faith in action. While she was “unfaithful” by profession, she was faithful in the moment when the Israelite spies came to her home. She not only served God’s purposes at a crucial time, but she was woven into God’s redemption story as the mother of Boaz and an ancestor of Jesus.

It is not how you start, but how you finish that matters!

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

In yesterday’s reading, James offers some very clear spiritual coaching. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Today’s passage provides a specific example of that: favoritism.

Romans 2:11 says, “God does not show favoritism,” and neither should we. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Authentic faith does not play favorites. Specifically, it is wrong to show those with wealth or status greater attention and respect than those who are lowly and impoverished.

We have the opportunity to put this instruction to the test almost weekly. The Greek word translated “meeting” is “synagogue.” Due to our church’s location downtown, we regularly have homeless people visit us on Sunday morning. We seek to treat them like everyone else (or even a little better, according to their needs).

The same is true as we go about our daily interactions. We ought to always be ready to put into practice yesterday’s closing challenge: Take care of the less fortunate. Defend those who are mistreated. Treat everyone well. Notice and be nice to everybody.

James again gets very practical in his teaching. “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin.”

Also in yesterday’s reading, James compared looking at God’s Word to looking at a mirror. We know from our study of Hebrews that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

God’s Word is dynamic and life-changing! But if we only glance at it occasionally, we never really “see” ourselves for who we are. It is of no value to us. The same is true when we “hear” the truth, but don’t “act” on it. Like a quick peek in the mirror, we immediately forget what we see. If we hear the Word, but don’t put it into practice – and yet think we’ve “got it” – we deceive ourselves.

“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.” We learn by doing, not hearing. Put God’s Word into practice. Make it real in your life! Good is as good does. The proof is in the living.

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the soils (Opening Scripture). The Sower is faithful, and the seed is good, but the soils are of varying quality. Some hear the Word and give it no thought. Some hear the Word and receive it, but quickly fall away. Some hear the Word and receive it, but work and worry choke and stunt its growth. Some hear the Word and receive it, then go and bear much fruit.

In Matthew 7, Jesus says, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. By their fruit you will recognize them.”

What kind of fruit are you producing?

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!