Faith, Love, Doing

In a small publication called "Forward Day by Day" published by Forward Movement an agency of the Episcopal Church one of the scripture lessons listed for November 17,2008 was James 2:14-26. I have read this passage before and it is one of my favorite Epistle passages. Verse 24, as it is translated in the "Contemporary English Version" says,"You can now see that we please God by what we do and not only by what we believe." When I read this, or most parts of James, it often brings to mind what Luther said, and wrote in the margin of his Bible. When Luther read a passage that said we are saved by faith he wrote in the margin, "and faith alone". I have heard that Luther disliked the book of James and would not have been upset if it had never been included in the canon. His reasoning was that James seemed to indicate that "good works" were necessary to be saved.

While I am not competant to take Luther back to Worms I think that he fails to make an important connection. He would be familiar with a portionof scripture where Jesus, re-appearing after his earthly death, forgave Peter of the three times Peter had denied Him. In John 21: 15-17 Jesus asks Peter three times, "... do you love me..." and Peter responds each time saying the he does. After the positive responses by Peter Jesus asksk him to do something. "...feed my lambs... take care of my sheep ... Feed my sheep."

Jesus' request of Peter was to do something; to act. Peter had the faith that Luther called for from Jesus' followers. But because of that faith Peter also loved Jesus. Because of that love and faith Jesus could ask Peter to do. So actually there is a connection between faith, love, and doing. Luther was correct, we are saved by faith alone, but if we have faith we have love. And if we love Jesus we will do as he requested of Peter and as He requests of us through our connection to Peter to, "Feed my sheep." And while some may suggest that Jesus was only talking about feeding His sheep spiritually Jesus' earthly life among, and with frequent references to, the poor it seems obvious that Jesus was referring to the physical needs of the poor as well as the spiritual needs.

So there should be no tension between Luther and the letter of James; for to believe is to love, is to serve, is to do.