True Religion
WARM-UP
Recall an instance when you helped a stranger. Share the story with us.
Do you follow instructions quickly and well? Recall an instance explaining this.
Tell us about the saddest news you heard this week. How did you respond?
WORD
19 This you know, my beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness and accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what he was like. 25 But one who looks intently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and continues in it, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, this man will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and faultless religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. JAS 1:19-27
James wrote this letter to the believers in his time to challenge them to live out their faith: to not just hear the word, but do it. The goal of Bible-reading and study is application, not information. We can be hearers who forget or doers who act, but the Bible promises the doers will be blessed (Jas 1:25). Because Christians are saved by grace through faith, we know that “doing” can not lead or add to our salvation. However, as Christians, we can now put our faith into action and practice true religion: serve the poor and afflicted, and guard against impurity.
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11 And Moses raised his arm and struck the rock with his staff twice [for at first it had issued forth only drops, Moses not having been commanded to strike it but to speak to it (they had spoken to a different rock before, which had emitted nothing, whereupon they conjectured that perhaps they should strike it, as before (Exo 17:6), whereupon the intended rock presented itself to them, and he struck it)], and much water gushed out, and the community drank, and their livestock also.
Rashi’s Commentary
Twice, because at the first attempt he drew out only a few drops, for God had not commanded him to strike it, but he had said, (v. 8) “you shall speak to the rock.” They had, indeed, spoken, but to a different rock (not that which God had intended) and nothing came out. They said, “Perhaps it is necessary to strike it,” as on the former occasion when it says, (Exo 17:6) “and strike the rock,” and just that rock intended by
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God happened to be there and they struck it but without full effect, and so they struck it a second time (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Chukat 9).
“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock [into it, the staff being of hard sapphire], and water will come out of it and the people will drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. EXO 17:6
Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly, and speak to the rock before their eyes and it will give its water. You will bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the community and their livestock [from this we may see that the Holy One, blessed be he, has regard for the possessions of Israel]. NUM 20:8
12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me to sanctify me in the sight of the children of Israel [for had you just spoken to the rock, and not struck it, they would have reasoned: Now if this rock, which does not speak, and does not hear, and does not require sustenance heeds God’s word, how much more should we do so], therefore [I swear (God “hastening” to swear, to ward off imploration)] you will not bring this community into the land which I have given them.” NUM 20:11-12
Rashi’s Commentary
To sanctify me—For had you spoken to the rock and it had brought forth water I would have been sanctified before the whole congregation, for they would have said: What is the case with this rock which cannot speak and cannot hear and needs no maintenance? It fulfills the bidding of the Omnipresent God! How much more should we do so?
If you fear the Lord and serve and hearken to his voice and you will not rebel against the commands of the Lord, if both you and the king, who reigns over you, follow the Lord your God—well and good! 1SA 12:14
Rashi’s Commentary
Both you and the king, who reigns over you—Both you and the king, who reigns over you will live to a ripe old age.
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For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. MAT 12:50
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ACT 2:42
But one who looks intently into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and continues in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. JAS 1:25
1 Serve the poor and afflicted.
Pure and faultless religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction . . . JAS 1:27
Orphans and widows of the first century were the poorest of the poor. Because they didn’t have family and could not provide for themselves, they were left to starve, beg, and even become slaves. As Christians, regardless of our status in life, it is our responsibility to demonstrate the gospel to everyone, especially those who cannot help themselves or pay us back. Who are the poor and afflicted in your community and area? How can you serve them?
12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
the fatherless and the one who had none to assist them.
13 The blessing of the lost one was bestowed upon me [for I supported his wife and children];
and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy [by allying myself with her]. JOB 29:12-13
Bava Batra 16a:14
Rava interpreted a verse homiletically: What is the meaning of that which is written, Job saying about himself: “The blessing of the lost one was bestowed upon me; and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy” (Job 29:13). “The blessing of the lost one was bestowed upon me” teaches that Job used to steal a field from orphans, cultivate it, improve it, and then return it to them; consequently, they would bless him for the field they had lost. “I made the widow’s heart sing for joy” teaches that anywhere that there was a widow whom no one would marry, he would go and cast his name upon her, i.e., he would start a rumor that she was related to him, and then somebody would come forward and marry her.
Rashi’s Commentary
The blessing of the lost—Who died because of his iniquity and was banished.
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Was bestowed upon me—Because I would sustain his children and his wife. Our Sages said, however, that he Job would rob the orphans of their field, improve it and then return it to them (Bava Batra 16a). But the simple meaning of the verse does not appear to be so, for no one is called אובד, but a thing that is itself lost, like (Psa 31:13), “like a broken vessel,” and so (ibid. 119:176), “I have gone astray like a lost sheep,” (Jer 50:6), “lost sheep.”
And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy—For he would attach his name to widows, saying, “She is my kinswoman,” or “I will marry her,” in order that men should be anxious to marry her.
I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I have become like a broken pottery. PSA 31:13
I went astray like a lost sheep.
[Therefore] seek your servant [and set him back on the path],
for I have not forgotten your commands. PSA 119:176
My people have been lost sheep;
their shepherds have led them astray;
they led them astray to the mountains.
They wandered from mountain to hill
and forgot their resting place. JER 50:6
[His praises (until the end of the psalm):] A father of the fatherless [Israel (viz. Lam 5:3)], a defender [on behalf] of widows [Jerusalem (viz. Lam 1:1)],
is God in his holy dwelling place. PSA 68:6
Rashi’s Commentary
A father of the fatherless—And this is the praise that you shall praise before him: the entire matter until the end of the psalm.
Father of the fatherless—Who became a father to Israel, who are fatherless, as it is said (Lam 5:3): “We were orphans without a father.”
A defender of widows—Who performed the judgment of Jerusalem, concerning which it says (Lam 1:1): “was like a widow.”
How solitary lies the city,
that was [formerly] full of people!
She has become like a widow,
who was once great among the nations!
She who was the queen among the provinces
has become a forced laborer. LAM 1:1
We have become orphans and fatherless,
our mothers are like widows. LAM 5:3
2 Guard against impurity.
. . . and to keep oneself unstained from the world. JAS 1:27
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Jesus said that his disciples are in the world, but not of the world (Joh 17:16). James charged the believers to put away all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness (Jas 1:21). Rather, we are to observe and obey God’s word, the highest standard of morality and authority that enables us to live a pure and holy life. How can the impurity of the world distract you from serving others, especially the afflicted?
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound ISA 61:1
Cast away from you all the offenses which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? EZE 18:31
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. EZE 36:25
Rashi’s Commentary
Clean water—I will grant you atonement and remove your uncleanliness by sprinkling purification water, which removes even the highest degree of defilement, the defilement caused by a corpse.
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands.
Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered
on the day of the Lord’s anger. ZEP 2:3
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. JOH 17:16
So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all the things commanded you by the Lord. ACT 10:33
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But thanks be to God that, though you were slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were committed. ROM 6:17
12 The night is almost gone; the day is near. So then let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ROM 13:12-13
Therefore put away all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness and accept with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. JAS 1:21
APPLICATION
What is your understanding of true religion, and how does this differ from what the Bible says? How will you apply what you learned today?
Who are the poor and afflicted in your community, and how can you serve them?
What is one thing you need to do starting this week to keep yourself unstained from the world?
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
PRAYER
Thank God for his word. Pray that you wouldn’t just hear it, but obey it every day.
As a believer, pray that you would put your faith in action and demonstrate the gospel by serving the poor and keeping yourself pure before God. Make a commitment to guard against impurity.
Pray for the poor and afflicted. Ask God to bless you so you can be a blessing: to help meet others’ needs, serve them, and preach the gospel to them.
This work, "Gospel Demonstrated: True Religion" is a derivative of "Gospel Demonstrated: Victory Series" © 2018 by VICTORY® All rights reserved
"The Rashi Chumash" and "The Rashi Ketuvim" by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein is licensed under CC BY 3.0
