The Mirror
James 1: 17-27
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
September 2, 2018
James is a letter of wisdom. The author puts pen to paper to persuade Christians to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Just as I shared in last week’s sermon, faith is both a gift and a responsibility.
For James, the greatest marker of a Christian’s identity is that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves[1]. So, he goes to great lengths teaching about the Law of Love. James raises his prophetic voice to encourage us and also to challenge us to look deeply within the image of faith we project to God and one another.
James is not only concerned about one’s personal image of faith, but also the faith which is projected by the community of believers. This includes our moral attitudes and behaviors, our intentionality to see one another as sisters and brothers of God’s greater family, and our commitment to seek the wellbeing of all.
Listen for God’s Word in James 1: 17-27.
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James uses a rich metaphor to gaze into the face of faith: the mirror.
Legend holds the first person to look in the mirror, so to speak, was the young Greek hunter Narcissus. He was born from the Greek river God and a nymph. Narcissus was known for being devastatingly handsome. When he looked at his reflection at the water’s edge, Narcissus fell in love with his face and never left his reflection [2]. His name gives us the word narcissist; one who is engrossed in self-admiration.
During the first century, mirrors were more than reflected water. They were made of polished metal – commonly bronze or copper. The progress of the Roman empire began to make glass mirrors with a metal layer finish [3].
Mirrors like we have today were not crafted until the 16th century. Both ancient mirrors of the 1st century gave quite a distorted image; you literally looked into a mirror dimly as the Apostle Paul says (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Therefore, in order to get a more accurate reflection of one’s image, you had to look into the mirror from several different angles.
James holds up a metaphorical mirror for the community of faith to look into. So, let’s join him in looking at the face of faith together – yours and mine.
One angle reflects the projection we generate for others to see.
This reflection is not our true selves. James says when our commitment of faith only goes skin deep then we are mere hearers of the word and not doers (James 1:23). We are merely playing a part and living behind a “stained-glass masquerade”.
Some of you have heard of the Christian worship group, Casting Crowns. They sing about this; listen to these lyrics:
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be?
Would your arms be open?
Or would you walk away?
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay?
CHORUS:
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain?
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade.[4]
When faith is only skin-deep, one of two things is happening in life. We either mask our inadequacies or we mask our fear of vulnerability.
We mask our inadequacies – our fear of not being enough. So we project that we have our lives all together, when really on the inside everything is falling apart. We hear God’s word, but we cannot do it. That inner voice deceives us to believe that if our faith was stronger then we would be a better Christian and life itself would be better too.
We mask our fear of vulnerability. So we project that we are in control. We hear God’s word, but we cannot do it. We resist being honest with God and ourselves and it just leads us to pride. Instead of fully relying on God, we rely on ourselves and the self-made "ideals we espouse.” We project a faith of “self-deception” [5].
Marrianne Williamson says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure (through God’s grace at work in us). It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us” [6].
And yet to get a more accurate image of faith, James needs us to look at another angle – look deeper into the mirror. Although the reflection is distorted, look past the inadequacies, fears, and the self-made projection.
And by all means look past that awful chin or nose hair you missed while tweezing or the Mount Rushmore pimple about to pop!
Look into the mirror for the projection God wants you and me to see. God renders a deep truth about our nativity; something honest and authentic about our true selves. Look into the mirror and see the true face of faith; we are beloved children of God.
Marianne Williamson says, “We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; It's in everyone” [7].
We are more than we can ever imagine because of God’s great faithfulness. In fulfillment of God’s own purposes, God gave us birth by the word of truth. “We belong— body and soul, in life and in death - not to ourselves but to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ” [8].
You see, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh – the word of truth, is the truest reflection of our humanity.
The person and ministry of Jesus Christ reflects nothing less than love for humankind and creation; joy that praises God’s grace; peace found in God’s wisdom; patience in trusting God’s presence; kindness in serving others; generosity in extending mercy; faithfulness in submitting to God; gentleness in being empowered by God’s strength; and self-control in using godly actions and words to build up [9].
The word of truth is the true mirror that corrects all human distortions. God’s Word rectifies our spiritual sight so that we might see ourselves and the world as God sees.
The Christian life is dying to our old selves and claiming the new life of Jesus Christ. James implies the Apostle Pauls’ words, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit [and the word of truth] then let us also be guided by the Spirit [and the word of truth] (Galatians 5:24-25).
The mirror challenges us to reflect God's Law of Love. On any given day, at any given time - you and I might be the only reflection of Jesus Christ that someone else sees.
What a privilege! And what a scary thought! Sometimes we reflect Jesus Christ in beautiful ways. And sometimes we get it all wrong. Sometimes I get it all wrong.
But when we take a good look in God’s mirror we see our truest image of humanity is to strip away all the layers that oppose God’s righteousness.
Just imagine the liberation of peeling away conceit, competition, and envy. Imagine the Spirit stripping away fear and anger, pride and self-interest. What might your and my face of faith look like without the mark of complacency?
Would the love of Jesus be enough to make you stay and look into the mirror to behold the person and the community God desires us to be? This week look into the mirror of God’s truth and just imagine.
It all rests on this – when you and I look into the mirror of God’s truth, we are looking for all that sustains you and me from the inside.
When everything else falls away, the reflection that will never fade is the power of God’s love.
In the name of God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Sources Referenced:
[1] Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22: 37-40; Mark 12: 30-31; Luke 10:27
[2] “A Brief History of Mirrors,” Bite Size History, November 17, 2017
[3] “A Brief History of Mirrors,” Ibid.
[4] Lyrics from “Stained Glass Masquerade” on Lifesong album. Unofficial video
[5] New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary: Volume X (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), pp. 640-641.
[6] Marianne Williamson, “A Return to Love” (New York: Harper Collins, 1992)
[7] Williamson, Ibid.
[8] The Book of Confessions, Part 1 of Presbyterian Church (USA) Constitution, The Heidelberg Confession Question and Answer 1.
[9] Galatians 5: 22-23.....Love (James 2:8); Joy (James 1:2-4; 5:13); Peace (James 3:17-18); Patience (James 5:7-8, 10); Kindness (James 2:26); Generosity (James 1:17); Faithfulness (James 1:27; 4:7-8; 5:19-20); Gentleness (James 3: 13,17); Self-Control (James 1:19; 3: 3-5).
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