Devotional - August 10, 2022
Scripture: James 1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.
I'd like to spend one more week pondering the opening to this letter. We discussed last week that the writer is widely regarded as James, the brother of Jesus. The thing I'd like to consider this week is Jame's view of himself and his view of Jesus. Has anyone ever asked you to explain your relationship with Jesus Christ? James uses the term bond-servant. In some Bibles, it is stated simply as servant. Bond servant is more to the point. One of the key differences between a servant and a bond servant was that a servant got paid for their services. They also had some control over their schedule and terms of service. A bond servant was seen more as a slave. They did not get paid for their services. They did not have control over their situation. Many were enslaved and they could not free themselves. In the Jewish tradition, most were freed during the Year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee occurred every seven years when all those who found themselves enslaved, sometimes due to financial issues or being captured in war, were offered freedom. In the case of many of our New Testament apostles, they considered themselves to be bondservants who waived their right to leave Christ's service. They continued on serving, even when offered the opportunity to leave. To be a bondservant, even in the secular sense, was not always a bad choice. As long as they stayed a bond servant they enjoyed the benefits of serving a wealthy family. James is likening his service to God as being a bondservant to the Kingdom of God. He does so freely and willingly and enjoys the benefits thereof. I hope you have a similar situation. At some point, you came to God. But then, based on what you learned and experienced, you made a decision to stay devoted to God. God does not pay you for Your service. You serve because you believe what Jesus said, He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:16). Many become Christians because of their fear of hell. I've heard this kind of salvation referred to as fire insurance. Today, we are blessed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and all that comes with Bible study. I hope we can present something that encourages folks to have faith in God more than being afraid of God.
When it comes to God, James makes doubly sure his reader understands his perspective. He uses both Lord and Christ to address Jesus. Christ, when translated means anointed. One may say, "what's the big deal about that, I can anoint someone with oil." The anointing that is being referred to, when saying Christ, is not general, but instead, it is specific. It refers to THE anointed, the king. The fact that James addresses Jesus as Lord doubles down on his identifying Jesus as both King and Lord (Deuteronomy 10:17, Ps 136:3, Rev 19:16). The difference between kings and lords was, in any kingdom, there was only one king, but there may be several lords depending on the size of the kingdom. The lords served under the authority of the king. They may have ruled over large households, estates or regions. To say Jesus was both lord and king was to say He had total control over His kingdom, both in part and the whole. James is giving Jesus that kind of authority in his life. Being that James lived in Jerusalem, it made life difficult because others laid claim to that position. Within the Jewish sect, the Sanhedian, was the ruling body that claimed authority over the Jews as did their king. In Jesus' day, the king was Herod. But Rome, specifically the Emperor, held sway over them. Even so, Christians were never instructed to rebel in the name of Christ, but they did have limits on what they would yield to their authorities. Jesus instructs His followers to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's (Mark 12:17). Peter calls Christians to live in peace with the government so long as it does not conflict with their faith (1 Peter 2: 13-21). Paul calls for Christian to live in peace with the governing bodies and to pray for them (Ro 13:1, 1 Timothy 2:1-2). Being Christians does not make us rebels. Instead, I think, we are highly valued as citizens due to the values and principles by which we live our life. We live this way because of our faith in God through Christ.
Take a moment and consider your relationship with Christ. Is it a quid pro quo type of relationship? God, I will give you this and You will give me that? I hope not. I truly hope your salvation is based on your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I wanted to make this point before I continue on through his letter. It is easy to get the impression that James is legalistic in his interpretation of the Gospel, rather than relationally based. The key to knowing this is found in the way he identifies himself with Jesus. He is a bond servant. He loves God and he knows that God loves him. He willingly gave his life and allegiance to God because he knows and believes in the Gospel, the good news, found in Jesus Christ. I hope you have found that too.
Pray with me...., Holy God, how good it is to know of Your grace and truth. Sometimes we take it for granted, forget about it, or struggle with it. But You are always faithful and we are thankful for it. Bless our friends and loved ones, bless them in accord with their needs. Be with our church Lord, guide us, so we may be the people You call us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
