The Highlights Series Part 2 by John Luke RobertsonSample

There are a few James in the Bible, but it is widely believed the writer of this book is James, the half-brother of Jesus. That fact in itself needs a moment, doesn’t it? Imagine being the brother or sister of Jesus. Wow! 

It’s a little strange, but James wasn’t a follower of Jesus while Jesus was on earth. (Okay, maybe not so strange because he was his brother and we don’t often follow our brothers around listening to every word.) James came to believe his half-brother was who He said he was after witnessing the resurrected body. (Yep, that would be pretty convincing.) He eventually became one of the leaders of the church at Jerusalem. 

Often the book of James has been compared to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament. It contains a ton of practical applications to a life of faith. Mainly, it encourages God’s people to act like God’s people. I run a summer camp and, as directors, we know we have to address things as we see problems arise. We can’t wait until it’s a full blown problem. James seems to be doing that to some degree. He lays out some situations that the believers might be facing, then lays out the “how to” to avoid a problem. In other words, he’s saying to avoid future trouble you need to live in the present a certain way and that way is to pursue God, not man.  

James gives instruction on how to pursue God and a life of holiness and makes no excuses for those who don’t measure up. In James’ mind, a believer shows their faith by their actions. James clearly says in James 2:17, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

For James, faith is not abstract, but is played out in practical ways such as visiting orphans and widows, calling on God for wisdom, setting aside wicked things, and engaging in the life of other believers. 

Reading James should encourage you do good, not just be good, but to “do good”.