To Be Doers
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
This is the Word of the Lord. Sanctify us, O Lord, by Thy Truth. Thy Word is Truth. Amen. Christ Is Risen!
James 1:22-27
St. James is telling us a reality of the Christian life. He is repeating the idea that Jesus talked about earlier.
Jesus says there were two sons. Their father asked them to go and work for Him. One said yes, but did not go. The other said no, but changed his mind and went and did.
Who did His Father’s will? The second son, right?
We who are here are that second one…at least today.
When I had confirmands, I would say that they too are also the second sone one. Because…
I would hear from many… as teachers do all the time, I am sure…that word “NO” …
Either a defiant “NO!” or in panic… NO… Not that… again…!
Or it is just plain… “I can’t do this… I won’t be able to pass….” and many other things?
But you did. They did. They were confirmed. They passed. They graduated…
At least most of them…
And those here today did, do…
…even though when the alarm went off…
…how many dreamed about saying: NO…rolling over… and going back to sleep?
Me… yes… me… I did…
How many know why you didn’t?
Many will claim all sorts of things….and this… for most… until you learn to know better… you are mostly wrong…because….
Simply…you are NOT…I am not…here… of our own accord.
I mean sure… you ended up cooperating…
Sure, you could have kept saying no…and could be home right now…sleeping or whatever…
All of YOUR OWN accord.
We ARE free to sin and ignore God. This is always the case…
But NO…we are NOT free…and DO NOT come to God…on OUR OWN accord.
It is Him…that calls…
Gathers…
…that enables us…that clears the path…that opens our hearts and minds…that changes our wills and gives us the…ability…the gumption…the energy…
To come to where He is. Here. Today. Right now. He is who gathers us– the sheep.
By that other …THING, we call the FLESH, IT…says NO…!
But like that second son, the Word of the Father does its work on us, and we do as we are asked to do.
The flesh is always weak, but the Spirit is ever-willing.
And even if we don’t and can’t appreciate what we are doing here…what we get…here in His House…
The truth is like this: God says COME! COME AND EAT…YOU WHO ARE HUNGRY…
Come and have dinner with me. Let me take care of you.
Yes, do come…and do this…and Be doers, of the Word, not just hearers….
And in truth we can just sit there…in the pew…and ONLY HEAR…
…and REFUSE…
Refuse to respond when His Word works on us. We can reject and be only hearers…
Yet when we do hear and not refuse…HIM…when we are humbled and raised up…condemned and forgiven…killed and resurrected…by His Word of Law and Gospel…
…that is what the beginning of all the doing of His Word…IS…
…this is the very start of what it is all about.
Sure, it is much more than just being in church, and receiving what Jesus gives us here.
As it also involves all that He has given us to do out there.
What is that?
Well, that is simply what and who you are and where He has placed you.
Just do what He has given you to do…what He has placed right in front of you to do. That simple.
Well, that does not mean simple is always easy…
…but WHAT God does have us to do…that is never hidden…or kept secret…so we have to hunt for it. We may not like what He has for us all the time…
Like confirmation tests and recitations. Or College exams and presentations. Or medical exams and tests. Or digging trenches, driving truck through bad weather…or spreading manure…
How about visiting ailing seniors in the nursing home with all those smells and those sights?
Not always easy…is it?
I know that first hand. But what a joy for them…and… that can also be for us.
Yes, this is what James means when He says to: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…
Yet…
There are very pleasant things too…and we cannot deny it!
But what of the other parts of what James says we ought to be doing?
You mean the: keeping unstained from the world and bridling of the tongue?
Yeah… now that is tough! Especially closing one’s mouth…
…and for some reason it is harder in the church. There is nothing more wicked and harmful, and all too common, than church gossip.
But don’t you know that the doing of that…and all of this… that James is telling us…according to God’s will begins here?
Right here. Yes, in the doing of what we do… right here.
The will and the way is had… RIGHT IN HIS HOUSE from His things that He brings here each week. That is why it is essential to be in church as often as possible.
No, not as often as we feel like it…or as often as we want–but because HE CALLS US TO IT…
And from what God brings us in His Word and Sacrament… we are enabled to keep unstained from the world.
It not only un-stains us from the world, but helps keep us clean each and every day.
The washing of the water of the Word. The blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin.
The strength to endure trial and temptation by being fed by the Body of Christ.
This God works in us. And it is here…that it is given out without measure… all so we then are and can be doers.
This is all why and what we get…in His House on His Day…the first day of the weak…the first day of the new creation…
For us… as we are His new creation….
A door opens for you into the greater things of God in His Church.
Do not despise His House or His gifts in Word and Sacrament.
For all that lies ahead for you in life, it is here that you will find the help…the strength…the comfort…to make it out there…and to bring you finally home in eternity with all the saints.
All this because Christ is Risen. Amen.
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