This week, I had dinner in the MCG Members’ Dining Room. I’m not a member, so I was there as a guest. It was for a ‘Champions Dinner’ hosted by Sports Chaplaincy Australia. Several other members of the DCC community were there.
I became a Sports Chaplain about five years ago; on the weekends these days, I take on this particular role in a local cricket club. There are many others in our college community who have taken on such a role themselves, or have supported a spouse or family member as they have undertaken this very missional work. The role leans heavily into concepts that the book of James articulates really well, and two passages from James’ first chapter were mentioned by two elite sportspeople who spoke at the dinner.
Each of them used the passage they mentioned to highlight the intentional difference in attitude Christians should be seen to have in the secular circles they move in as they go about their daily work and activities. I found their words encouraging and have summarised them below – I hope you do as well.
James 1:2-4. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James is a very direct writer, and the first chapter of his letter, written mainly to Jewish Christians dispersed far and wide, is a challenging read, largely because of its constant challenge of what we might consider worldly wisdom.
In this first passage, he suggests a radical approach to trials – that we should consider them pure joy. He suggests trials will be expected, and not a surprise. Whilst not denying emotional pain and suffering, he is suggesting an unnatural approach, one which requires a deliberate choice. His reasoning taps into that which all Christians know in their hearts, but often struggle to act out in their lives – that God is sovereign and he uses trials to test our faith and produce endurance and a perfecting of faith – a maturity only God can give us.
James 1:9-11 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
As we consider verses 9-11, we see James as a defender of the poor. In the way of the world’s wisdom, it is the wealthy that are honoured. The gospel of Jesus Christ turns this on its head, as its message both humbles and exalts us.
James asserts that despite being poor (in wealth, circumstance, social standing), the poor Christian in Christ is invited into the royal family of the Son of God (as all Christians are), and so there is no need for them to feel themselves despised on account of their lack of wealth. They share in Christ’s glory.
On the other hand, the gospel humbles a believer, and the wealthy person ought to acknowledge that they are humbled like anyone else who believes. They are levelled by the gospel, called a sinner like anyone else who approaches the throne of grace, and called upon to acknowledge their sins like anyone else. They are not treated with favouritism by God – they are in need of his mercy, too.
This second group of three verses is a sobering reminder for those of us Christians who have wealth (be it monetary, experiential, or even social – which captures most, if not all, of us through our access to great churches, great schooling and first world government service provisions) that our wealth is not an indicator of our superior righteousness. Our confidence should be in the fact that the gospel has brought us low as sinners in order to show us how much mercy God has lavished on us in Jesus Christ.
In conclusion, both these challenges to us as believers, which speak to the heart God has for each of us, as found in James’ letter, are great reminders of the way God blesses us and acts for our good at all times, in all circumstances.
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