Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (CL)

James 2:14-26

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. ¹⁹ You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! ²⁰ Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? ²¹ Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; ²³ and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. ²⁴ You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? ²⁶ For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James turns an interesting phrase in his argument. I am not going to say that James is wrong when he states, "Faith apart from works is dead." But in verse 23, James says "the scripture was fulfilled that says, ...." He is rightly confirming what Paul says about this phrase. God counted to Abraham righteousness in Genesis 15, Isaac is not born until Genesis 21, and sacrificed in Genesis 22. James does not say that works produce faith, nor that without specific works one does not have righteousness. Abraham was made righteous by means of faith long before he made his great work of faith.

But the scriptures must not be broken. The word of God fulfills what it sets out to do. So when you bring an infant to Baptism, there is a promise made to raise this child in the faith. These works of raising that child are "necessary" to fulfill Matthew 28. Go and make disciples of all nations by baptism (the gift of faith and forgiveness) and by teaching them to obey (works, study, and dedication).

James does plainly state within this context, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." These works are the fulfillment of said faith. These works are the fruit of repentance (asked for by John the Baptist). These works are the good fruit (Jesus expects from the fig tree). One could even push the context that these necessary works are the fulfillment of scripture, which is done in Christ's death and resurrection on the cross.

Your faith would be void without the Sacrifice of the Son. You faith likewise would be meaningless without the Resurrection of Christ from the dead as the first fruits of our resurrection. I would conclude with reminding those that make faith itself a work that when you put the emphasis on what you do, you remove the power of Christ who forgives your sins and makes you righteous.