Ears
James 5: 7-20
by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
October 21, 2018
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. - James 5: 7-20
For weeks we have been sitting in the words of James. James is a letter of wisdom. The author puts pen to paper to persuade Christians to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ because 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. 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 social ethics, our intentionality to see one another as sisters and brothers of God’s greater family, and our commitment to seek the wellbeing of all.
The Lord God is calling us to strengthen our hearts and take a long view into the face of faith.
James has been tapping us to take the time to look into the mirror of God’s truth – God’s mirror not only reflects our short comings but it is also reflects the hope of God’s great potential to transform our lives day by day.
God’s Word opens our eyes to see the world, our neighbors and our very selves in a new way when we look through the merciful eyes of Jesus Christ.
God’s Spirit empowers us to choose our words more wisely when we remember the gift of speech is to bless God and to build up one another.
Jesus’s teachings equip us to take the twists and turns of life and get out of the ruts of earthly wisdom by seeking the mind of Christ.
James spills a lot of ink on two words in our text today: patience and prayer. We cannot do either without the ability to listen.
James knows listening is a great virtue, for he said at the very beginning: “You must understand this, my beloved – let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger” (James 1:19). Listening requires a posture of simply being present.
The ability to be present and listen is the cornerstone of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus listened with an open heart to discern and obey God’s will and purposes.
Jesus listened to those he disagreed with and who grumbled when he reinterpreted the Law of God’s love.
Jesus listened to the disciples’ questions and their surprise to his teachings.
Jesus listened to his friends when they wept.
Jesus listened for God’s healing to turn despair into praise.
Jesus listened to those who were suffering, those who were powerless, those who society cast aside.
In order for our faith to carry on Jesus’ ministry to see and talk and think like Jesus, we must deepen our commitment to listen like Jesus.
His name is James. And no matter who asks him, “How are you doing?”, his reply is always the same, “I am blessed today.” Glenda and Henry Manus have known James for eight years. Glenda has given me permission to share this story. Glenda and Henry know God has brought James into their lives, and they into James’ life for a reason.
James would sell hand-made wooden bowls next to Henry’s weekend tackle business at the beach. As James sold his bowls, he would share his faith with his patrons. This made such a meaningful impression on Henry and Glenda. Henry invited James to work with him and as these three began to know one another, the Manus’ had the privilege of listening to James’ story.
James lives in the North Carolina coastal area of Crusoe Island. His family once owned land and when James’ father received his inheritance he squandered it. James quit school in the 8th grade to support his family. Through the years, James worked hard as a shrimper, a carpenter, and took odd jobs to make ends meet.
James struggled with alcoholism like his dad; it is hard to break the addictive cycle alone. And yet when James was in his 40’s he gave his life to Christ and he was forever changed. James gave up drinking - cold turkey. Whenever the church doors were open, James was there. And James is not shy sharing what God has been doing in his life. James has never had much to give but he is always generous to help others as God has helped him.
Despite years of personal struggles and teetering on the edge of poverty, James built a small house (16 feet by 12 feet) on his son’s property. Some might call it a shack, but James is proud to call it his home. Now in his early 70’s James is grateful that God has always provided what he needs.
When Hurricane Florence came through the Carolinas at a slow grits-making pace, James went to bed uncertain what the next day would bring. He was surprised to stand up in two feet of water. When he walked outside the water came up to his chin. James had a small handcrafted boat that he used to get help and relocate to an emergency shelter. After the flood waters receded, James and his neighbors returned to find they had lost everything.
Piles of debris, ruined furniture, and mattresses line the street to be picked up. In the front yard of James’ home, a damaged washing machine sits askew with a heap of ruined things on top. And yet a Carolina license plate is clearly visible in the mix saying, “Jesus is Lord.” Those words are James’ life motto.
The hurricane has certainly put James and many others in the Carolinas through the wringer. But there is no hardship that can ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ (Romans 8: 35, 37-39).
After the hurricane Glenda and Henry called James to check on his wellbeing and to consider how to help. James told Glenda, "The Lord will take care of me." She replied, "James, sometimes the Lord takes care of you by using other people." His answer, "I never thought about that.”
The Lord is listening to his children praying – children, women, and men who are praying for the strength to endure suffering that has no answers and suffering that we inflict upon one another. The Lord is listening to his children praying to thrive in God’s abundance and not just survive on the world’s scarcity. The Lord is listening to his children praying for some sure and certain sign that God is always with us.
And Christ prays for us – our Lord is patiently praying for us to listen for God’s guidance and direction to accomplish his purposes. God taps and tugs on our heartstrings and we just cannot ignore it. Our Lord is patiently praying for us to take notice of our sisters and brothers like James - the poor in spirit, the meek; those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful and pure in heart (Matthew 5: 3-8).
When we listen to the ones whom Jesus listens to, well, that is where God’s kingdom is already breaking in. And that is where the work of faith needs to be taking place.
It is in these spaces that God is at work to give us a different perspective. We are moved to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Therefore, God is at work to ground our faith in “a social ethic that is based on solidarity and peace rather than competition and violence.”
It is important to listen to the stories of our brothers and sisters who are hurting. We learn where they see God at work in their lives and we learn where God is inviting us to join the Lord in this holy work of reconciling the world. The Holy Spirit nudges us along to be authentic, to be present, to comfort, and to meet another’s real needs in just and merciful ways. Our faith is to grow and mature so that it strengthens and raises up others in God’s resurrection power!
The hope is that as we strive to live into God’s kingdom vision that we may see Christ in each other’s face. Loving our neighbor is the MOST we can do because the patience and prayer of right relationships is powerful and effective.
We know this to be true because it is the wisdom of the cross. May the cross always remind us what the face of our faith should reflect to God and to one another. Amen.
Sources Referenced:
[1] New Interpreter's Bible Commentary: Volume X (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2015), p. 673.
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