Bible Commentary

The parable in this week's scripture is a scandalous story. The gifted English scholar William Barclay describes it as “a difficult parable to interpret.”

Every week, in my mailbox and on my television, there appear invitations to seminars about financial security, investing for the future and planning for the golden years. I know there were no IRAs, Edward Jones, or Social Security in Jesus' day, but how am I to interpret Jesus' words: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal” (v. 19)?

James is a book about necessities. Our modern bookshelves are crowded with books about money management and investments, career success, strategic planning, beauty secrets and diets and exercise programs promising health and longevity. But what about the inner person, the spiritual, the connection with God?

Do you remember the Peanuts cartoon character named Pigpen who was always surrounded by a cloud of dust and looked unkempt? He was a good kid, but he was marked by an obvious flaw. That's us!

Someone told me when I was young, “Be careful what you say, because your words can come back to hurt you and once said they can't be erased.” It is inevitable that James, teaching about the significance and power of living a Christian life, includes “the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits” (v. 5)

What good is it? Now, there is a disturbing question for religious people.

When you read the gospels and the New Testament letters, the idea of religion is reshaped into a personal relationship with God through his Son and a daily lifestyle based on God's love and grace.

James the brother of Jesus, sometimes called “James the Just,” was one of the first leaders in the Jerusalem church, who urged the inclusion of non-Jews in that congregation. His letter is written in a practical voice, calling for consistent Christian living in a world that entices us with easy answers and goals of personal success. Being the people of God requires focusing on living each day with an eye on the future God has prepared.

The question is so basic: What is the purpose of your life?

Luke, the lone Gentile gospel writer, displays a heightened sense of excitement as Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (v. 51). The very concept of God sending his Son into this world to die for us was totally foreign to the world of that day.  The simple words of Jesus foreshadow a goal the world still has trouble understanding.

Many of the choices we all face involve choosing between right and wrong, but the toughest decisions may be between good and good. In today's study passages, Jesus says “no” because of God's ultimate priority.