James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. (James 1:1)
Karsten Solheim, the founder of PING, didn’t start playing golf until the age of forty-two, and he quickly realized putting was his nemesis. Through trial-and-error testing, Mr. Solheim developed a prototype putter that transferred most of the weight to the perimeter of the club.
Solheim’s “Anser” putter and PING clubs revolutionized the golf industry, but even more honorable was Mr. Solheim’s philanthropy and faith in God. Out of his success, he sponsored college programs, tour events, and, most notably, the Solheim Cup (the international competition between the USA and Europe). Karsten Solheim’s legacy continues today.
Like Mr. Solheim, James, the author of the Book of James, left his readers (including us) a legacy of teaching for all ages. James was Jesus’ half-brother and became the prominent leader of Christ’s followers in Jerusalem. He led this first Christian community through famine and persecution, was a peacemaker, and was a source of wisdom and courage.
The Bible Project authors write, “This book is a summary of Jacob’s (James) sage wisdom for any and every community of Jesus’ followers. His goal isn’t to teach us new theological information; rather, he wants to get in our business and challenge how we live.”
James wrote his letter to messianic Jews living outside the land of Israel. The Bible Project categorizes three key themes in James’ letter: the loving wisdom of Jesus, real faith is inseparable from actions, and perseverance and patience in difficulty. The letter is also divided into two parts with chapter one introducing Jesus’ wisdom, with the remaining chapters containing twelve teachings.
As a Jewish boy, the Torah (God’s instructions), along with studying Psalms and Proverbs, would have been a daily part of James’ life. James uses similar language and word pictures from the first nine chapters of the book of Proverbs in his letter. Another strong influence on James was Jesus’ teaching regarding the Kingdom of God, especially the Sermon on the Mount.
The wise teachings and punchy statements in chapter one are connected to the teachings in the remaining four chapters. For example, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless (James 1:26),” is a foreshadow of James elaborating on Jesus’ teaching regarding the power behind our words, especially how we often misuse them.
Our words are a window into the flaws of our character, especially when we judge and slander others with our words in one moment and then, without skipping a beat, praise God from the same mouth.
The book of James is worth a slow read with contemplation. Be ready because James’ wisdom and teaching will “get in our business” and reveal where we need to grow in character and behavior.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your disciple, James, who shares great wisdom. Help me read his letter with an open heart and learn from James’ wisdom.