Daily Liturgy and Scripture

The upside-down nature of the Kingdom of Jesus comes out in this passage from one of his apostles: submitting to one another in love, holding together the body of Christ to stand against the true adversary. Being sober of mind allows us to see the world for what it is, and also keep the proper perspective on our own suffering.

The call of "the end is near" is normally a cry of fear, but not in Peter's letter. The response to the end of all things is not to hole up in a bunker, but to show compassion and mercy on others. This is the opposite of our inclination to hoard for ourselves and keep others from getting what we have, but an open hand is the path of Jesus.

Following Jesus isn't a method of being seen as a better person, but as a method of finding ourselves closer to the heart of God. If we find ourselves there, our perspective is changed: our identity is in Christ, and our fear is handed over to him. In the absence of fear, suffering and abuse are pale shadows next to the adoption we find ourselves in to God our Father.

We are sometimes called to take a difficult path when we are following Jesus. Sometimes that means a hard stand against our own impulses, sometimes it means remaining in difficult situations for the good of those around us. We are the visage of Jesus among others, and that takes many forms.

Peter is giving a call similar to the one Jesus gave when he said anyone who didn't have the faith of a child could not enter Heaven. It's not a call to being simple-minded (and if you know a few children, they are probably anything but) but rather simple-hearted: craving the presence and attention of our Father, eager to grow under his guidance.

Peter, like James, is writing to Jews scattered among the nations. This was probably an important step when trying to unify the church across borders. He works like James did, pulling together the pieces of the old faith with the harmony of the new, the fulfillment of God's work that had started with the people of the promise.

This new community, grounded in faith and the movement of the Holy Spirit, works in a different way. The rich do not hoard for themselves, but care for their brothers and sisters. With patience, the community comes together to create wholeness and healing. James has come a long way from explaining the departure from the Law, and now he lays out more fully what happens in the law of love.

Behavior that mimics our Savior is for more than good looks, it is for the creation of a harmonious community. We are not only submitting ourselves to God, but also to one another. This is a state of heart that comes much harder if we are focused on what we want for ourselves.

James continues his discourse on aligning our behaviour to Kingdom ideals by talking about our speech. Especially in a time where so much anger and careless speech flows freely, we can understand this vividly. The expectation has not changed: following Jesus goes a different direction that our impulse to anger and self-promotion.

The divide between faith and works was no small hill to climb for the Jews of James' time. Purity was wrapped up in works, but it was important that they not completely discard the expression of their faith through behavior. While the motivation was no longer to fulfill the requirements of the "don't do this" list, it was still important to remember that things like loving your neighbor, loving your God, and showing compassion are always on the "do this" list.