James, a little book of wisdom: a context of unrest

Yesterday, I mentioned how an understanding of the political and social context into which James was writing these words of wisdom could be the key to better understanding the truths found here and better applying them to our context today.

Many Bible scholars have put in a whole load of time and energy to piece together the historical backdrop to this letter. And there are as many opinions as there are scholars! Today, I present one which I found particularly enlightening.

Jim Reiher is an Australian author and lecturer in New Testament Biblical Studies and Church History. His works include a social justice commentary on the epistle of James and a social justice devotional commentary on Acts. In July 2013, he wrote an essay entitled “Violent Language – a clue to the Historical Occasion of James.” for the Evangelical Quarterly. Vol. LXXXV No. 3.

Reiher states that James wrote for a purpose, a pressing and urgent reason and we as readers have to be careful not to treat his words and phrases in a vacuum.

The times James was living in were dangerous and violent and Christian Jews were being tempted to use the world’s methods (violence, revenge, war) to solve their problems. Writing from Jerusalem, James would have been witnessing conflict and turmoil, injustice and corruption. What we would now call vigilante groups were rising up to confront these injustices with religious extremists fighting against what they perceived as injustice and religious insults. Contemporary historians such as Josephus documented these violent outbreaks.

Josephus states: “the Jews were in great disorder, as if their whole country were aflame, and assembled themselves so many of them by the zeal for their religion.” In this incident, Cumanus saw too large a crowd to subdue, so he executed the offender. The story demonstrates how religious zeal could lead to disorder and violent commotion.

And Reiher’s comment?

Religious zeal and insurrection were easily joined then, (as now).

And it is in this context of insurrection that Jewish Christians would have been faced with a tough and urgent dilemma. The issue of how to respond to exploitation and subjugation could not be avoided. Some of these movements had a godly face and seemed spiritual – religious zeal and nationalistic ambitions were to be applauded, were they not? Some of the Christian Jews were being tempted to join these groups ‘We have to do something, right?’.

James could see the appeal of this response. What he was concerned about though was compromising the Christian message. For how can it be right and good to use violence to address injustice?

For James, it was clear –

A Christ-follower should live like Christ: be a non-violent activist , caring for those in need and suffering, but not succumbing to worldly ways while doing that.

Are you beginning to see how relevant this is for the world in which we are living today? Surely now, more than ever before, we need to be clear about how a Christian should respond to injustice. We are not called to use the world’s ways, but Christ’s.

Therefore be slow to anger. Guard your tongue. Care for those being exploited and suffering. Keep yourself unstained by the world.

James wants his readers to respond to injustice with the character of Christ.

I want to live that way too.

Reiher highlights the point that ‘“righteousness”, (dikaiosune) is equally translated as “justice”. Both options are available to the reader. To the Jewish Christian readers of the first century, they were virtually synonyms.’ We need to remember that as we go on to study this letter. It is not that righteousness is an inward spirituality and justice is an outward spirituality – they are one and the same thing: an integrated approach to God and to others. You can’t have one without the other.

This month is going to contain many challenges for us, there’s no doubt about that. James speaks out about hypocrisy and favouritism. His focus is on the poor. He challenges those who seem to pick and choose which of Jesus’ teachings to follow: Christian faith doesn’t work that way!

The Christian way is a way of non-violence.

Reading on through the essay, it strikes me again how relevant this study is going to be, when Reiher states that “rivalry” has a more full meaning as a political term: “a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.”

That’s Britain right now, people! We get the damage that political instability can do to a society.

James implores his readers not to make rash oaths, but to stay on the path of heavenly wisdom and practice instead: to be agents of peace and justice.

You have no idea how much I need to discover this path and walk in it. I cannot fail to be moved by the injustices and corruption and dehumanisation and lack of compassion taking place all over the world right now but I am so confused about what my response should be. I have a feeling that this next month is going to be a very personal journey for me. You will probably not agree with all of the conclusions that I draw, but that’s fine. We are all different and have different roles to play. Hopefully however, my honest searching will strike a chord with your own desire to stay on the path of heavenly wisdom and practice.