My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and then someone should bring him back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.  (James 5:19-20)

You’re a rescue hero.  Didya know that?

You have the power to save someone from death.  Woo Hooo!

But of course, with great power comes great…

Yep.

My wife’s family used to have a dog named Cabo.  Fantastic, strong, loyal Labrador Retriever.  Dogs just don’t get any better than that.  Cabo used to do a funny thing that quickly became annoying when he wouldn’t stop (man, do I identify with that dog).  Anyway, when people were swimming in the pool, Cabo would dive in, grab them by the arm, and drag them to safety.

Except they weren’t in danger.

They were just swimming.

Until the massive, hairy beast clamped his jaws ever so gently on an appendage and bodily removed them from the pool.

Cabo thought he was a hero.

He was just annoying.

On the flip side, when I was a kid my friend’s toddler-aged brother decided to teach himself to swim.  He wasn’t very good at it.  

At all

We looked over and saw him thrashing around under water.  Had someone not immediately jumped to the rescue, we would have lost him.  The kid was annoying, but still…

My point?

Before you dive into the pool, make sure the person is really drowning.  Maybe their swimming technique is just a little different.

But if they are drowning, don’t stand and yell at them to get out of the water.  Dive in.

Be a rescue hero.

Um…you know this is a metaphor, right?

Good

Happy Monday, Beloved.

I wrote this almost ten years ago. It still fits.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:15-16).

My friend died.

The one fighting cancer–I’ve mentioned him a time or two.  He battled like a champ for five months.  People prayed for him–lots of people.  Prayers offered in faith that the God of the universe was fully capable of raising John from his bed of pain and restoring him to light and life.  Prayers offered by men and women clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

I know…some of those prayers were mine.

And yet, last night I was at a meeting of people preparing his funeral.

This morning, I look at this Scripture and I…

sigh.

Is God a liar?  No, I can’t buy that.  He is the very nature of Truth.  His word declares it.  His Spirit confirms it.  If God is not truth, well then pack it in boys and girls, because it’s all dust.

Is God too weak to heal? See above.

So what am I not getting?  I understand that there are layers of meaning here, that James is talking about spiritual healing as well as physical healing.  Hence the discussion about confession and forgiveness.  But, ugh, that just feels like a cop-out, you know–like the kind of thing you tell an unbeliever who points out that people die all the time and prayers don’t help them.   I also get that prayers aren’t magic incantations.  We don’t manipulate God; what we pray must be in accordance with his will if he is to honor it.  But that brings up the whole “Why do we pray if God is just going to do what he wants anyway?” discussion, and…oy.

I read the commentary of one scholar who stated that while these verses are written as unconditional promises, they aren’t meant to be unconditional promises.

That didn’t help.

Beloved, I’m not trying to sour your orange juice this morning.  But these verses are tough for me.  Especially today.  Mornings like this are when I have to step back and remind myself that God is very big, and I am very small.  My friend John is providing “evidence of things unseen,” even at this moment.  In every way that truly matters, John is well and whole and has been restored to Light and Life.

But sometimes faith hurts

and trust is hard.

Someday, Beloved, it will all make sense.

Happy Friday

Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-14).

Is anyone else detecting a pattern here?

Look, I know you pray.

I pray, too.  I’m a prayer-guy from way back.

But

What James is talking about here is a level of prayer that, I gotta confess, is sometimes beyond me.  He’s not just giving a check-off list for when it is appropriate to pray.  James is talking about prayer as the go-to attitude for any situation.  

It’s a habit.

It’s a lifestyle.

As you head into your Thursday, take a moment for a little spiritual self-check. Ask yourself this question:

Is prayer something I have to think about doing

or

is it something I’m already doing?

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else.  Let your “Yes” be yes and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned (James 5:12).

James is reminding us here of something that Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount.  In Matthew 5, Jesus explained, “Do not swear…by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by earth, because it is his footstool…or by your head, for you can not even make one hair white or black…”

The point here is that when you swear by something you are using that thing as a guarantee of your actions or your veracity.  And…well…you don’t have that right.  It’s all God’s.  And by all I mean…well…

all.

None of it is yours to control or dictate.  Swearing by any of these things is like using someone else’s property to secure a loan, without their permission.

Not a good idea.

So, Beloved, don’t make promises you can’t keep. And don’t lay claim to that which is not yours. “The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”

Including you

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy   (James 5:10-11).

Oh, fine, James–bring the prophets into this!  

I was just working up a good pity party–I mean, I can’t afford new carpet for my house, and my optometrist just said I need stronger reading glasses, and the air conditioning in my third car is on the fritz.  I’m feeling the suffering of the ages pressing down upon me, and you bring up Job?

Oy

Beloved, we all suffer.  Sometimes it’s a fluffy sort of suffering, what we’ve taken to calling First World Problems.

Sometimes it’s the real deal.

Regardless of what you’re faced with today, remember that the same God who carried those Old Testament saints  through now carries you.  You can bank on that.

Because, well, you’re his Beloved.

Now, go do Tuesday.  

By His grace…for His glory.

Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door!  (James 5:9)

The idiot who cut me off and hit their brakes when there was acres of room behind me deserves my honking horn.

The telehelp geek who can’t seem to figure out why my router won’t route deserves my sarcasm.

The #&@x*^#  who is in the drive-thru ahead of me and just ordered an eight-course meal for 35 people when all I want is a Quickie Burger Deluxe hold the tomato extra sauce deserves the fiery wrath of a thousand burning suns.

If God judges me as I judge others…

I am doomed.

I don’t wanna be doomed.

So…

perhaps a new measuring device is needed.

One that looks more like love

and goes by the name of Grace.

Happy Monday, Beloved.