EPISODE 78 JAMES CHAPTER 1 "Testing Trials & Troubles Help Spiritual Growth"

Welcome to Share the Word, a Great Commission project, where we share the big ideas of the New Testament chapter by chapter. You know, in our lives, we face trials, troubles, tribulations, but the question is how we deal with them. And we are so excited to have Margie B. Asoto back behind the microphone. So let's get started. Margie?

Hello. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Margie, and this is Share the Word. Before we begin officially, I want to address the order of the New Testament books that we're covering. If you've been following along, you've probably already noticed that we went from the Gospels to Acts to Galatians, and now we're jumping to the book of James. If you peek at the Bible, you'll see that is not the order in which it is bound.

Rather than doing the investment books in the typical order, we're grouping them more chronologically and topically. Most commentators believe that this book, the book of James, was written in 45 A.D., which would put its writing at least two years before Paul's first epistle. And since James, along with Galatians, was an earlier letter to the New Testament believers, it's the one we decided to tackle next. So that is our rhyme and reason. We're not just skipping books we don't want to teach. Otherwise, we might have been tempted to skip this one, because James is full of some hard and challenging teaching.

First off, I'd like to start with the history surrounding the letter of James. Having things in historical context has always been helpful to me, and I hope it will be to you as well. Plus, I love to know something about the people who wrote the letters and who received them, knowing that they were probably not much different from you and me. After all, they were real people. So. Some background.

The book of James is considered to be named after its author, none other than the half-brother of Jesus, not the James who was part of Jesus's inner circle, one of the twelve disciples. Even though it is widely accepted that this James is the half-brother of Jesus, there's still a little controversy about the family dynamics. We know from the Gospels that Jesus had brothers. Obviously one called James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, and some sisters, nameless sisters, mind you, but sisters nonetheless. The debate continues to be about how they are all related. To me, it doesn't really matter, but inquiring minds want to know.

So here we go. The first and most widely held belief is that all of Jesus's siblings are younger than him, for as we know, Jesus is Mary's firstborn child, which means that Mary and Joseph went on to have kids of their own after Jesus was born. So all of the siblings would be half biological to Jesus, obviously on Mary's side of the equation. Second school of thought is that they were older step-siblings. Perhaps Joseph was a widower, but had children from a former marriage, so they were what we call in the modern world a blended family. And lastly, some speculate that James was a cousin from Joseph's side of the family, but that is often dismissed, as the Bible would have most likely mentioned that relationship, as the text does indicate that John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins.

Nonetheless, James is a real person from a real family, and if he is, in fact, Jesus's half-brother, don't you just wonder what he saw growing up? What was it like being raised with Jesus? Was there jealousy and tension, as there often is between brothers? I mean, really, a fallen, sinful older sibling can be sometimes a hard act to follow. Can you just imagine if that elder brother was Jesus? I propose these questions because there is no perfect family, not even in the Bible.

And the Gospels are pretty clear that Jesus's family was no exception. Jesus's brothers were not fans, followers, or disciples of Jesus during his time of ministry. As a matter of fact, the Gospels insinuate that they may have been embarrassed of Jesus, his mission, and his claims to be Messiah. John recorded that even his own brothers did not believe in him. Mark noted that his brothers said, He is out of his mind. And after being rejected, ridiculed, treated harshly, even threatened with death in Nazareth, Jesus himself repeated the Old Testament scripture, which declared that a prophet is not honored in his hometown.

But now, here is Jesus's very own brother writing to encourage the new Christian churches. What changed? What happened? Well, it's the same thing that changes everything. The resurrection of Jesus happened. For James and family, there was simply no denying that his brother Jesus was risen from the dead, that he was, is, the Messiah, the Christ, the long-awaited Savior of the Jews and of the entire world.

That must have been such a moment. Some reunion, right? Seeing his resurrected half-brother Jesus standing, eating, smiling, hugging, speaking, fully alive after watching him die an excruciating death on a cross. The Book of Acts gives us evidence of James' conversion, saying all of these in the upper room with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. After Jesus' ascension into heaven, James, along with Peter, acted as the head of the church in Jerusalem. Eventually, Peter became the head of the church in Rome.

However, James remained the pastor in Jerusalem for some 30 years. Boy howdy, that must have been one tough job. Here are a couple things that were new to me about James. Apparently, James had nicknames. The first is not so pretty, but it was meant as a compliment: Old Camel Knees, because he was considered to be a prayer warrior. The second, James the Just, as he was considered to be fair, gracious, honest, and wise.

Tradition says that James was martyred in 62 A.D. by being thrown from the temple wall by the high Jewish council who opposed Christianity. Okay, so that was about the author. What about the recipients? James is clear that they were the scattered Jewish believers throughout Asia Minor. He actually addressed them as the twelve tribes of Israel. In this little book, James refers to them as my brothers and sisters eight times and my brothers fifteen times, which indicates a common faith.

These brothers and sisters were facing incredible persecution. They were outcasts. They were being shunned by their family, the community, and the synagogue. Remember, the local synagogue was not just a place of worship, but the center of their social life as well. Many new believers suffered the loss of livelihood, leading to abject poverty. Tradition states that some families and communities actually held funerals for the Christian converts, sadly declaring, They are dead to us.

That had to be so hard, devastating. My family and I have experienced rejection on a very teeny tiny scale. It was hard, hurtful, uncomfortable, and sometimes scary. But for us, it was never life or death situations, freedom or imprisonment. earning a living or poverty, losing all of our family, friends, church, community, and having complete isolation from our past. But for some today, that's exactly what is happening. There are more Christians being ostracized, imprisoned, martyred than ever before in history.

But regardless of the circumstance, James is challenging these new believers and us to persevere. And that brings us to the big idea for today. It will be found in this chapter, chapter 1, verses 2, 3, 5, 6, and 12. Our big idea? It is how to confidently face and endure hardship, how to persevere wisely and even joyfully through trials of many kind. Per my usual, I would like to start with a joke that is loosely about persevering through challenging times.

A girlfriend of mine was on a strict no-carb diet and having great success because she changed everything about her habits, even her route to work in order to miss seeing her favorite bakery on the way. One morning, however, she came in carrying a huge coffee cake. So we asked, What is up with that? And she excitedly said, Well, I had to drive past the bakery this morning, but I did not pull in at first. Instead, I prayed, Lord, if I'm to get a coffee cake today, please let there be a parking spot right out in front. And wouldn't you know it, on the ninth time around...

There it was, right by the door. So, the big idea in this chapter is actually a very practical one, though it may not seem so at first glance. As a matter of fact, the first time I heard these verses, I had a pretty strong negative reaction to them. However, once I understood and applied these principles, they changed my life. Really. I don't do the big T's: trials, troubles, testing, temptation, tribulation, the same way anymore.

So, the verse I want to wrap the big idea around is found in verse 2. Yep, right at the beginning. James just kind of jumps right in there. So, hi guys, and by the way, consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds. Wait, what? Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds?

I don't know about you, but I tend to avoid things like a trial, things that hurt, cause pain, that don't feel good or scare me, or that I just really do not like. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way or thinks this way. Even in James' day, there were philosophers called Epicureans who taught and practiced pursuing only things that bring pleasure and to avoid pain at all costs. The pre-Jesus Margie would have hung with that crowd. When testing and trials and tribulation came my way, I wanted them fixed, over, done, tied up with a big, fat, beautiful bow. I used to run from person to person, friend to friend, counselor to counselor, looking for answers, direction, and solutions to relieve my pain, not to rejoice in it.

It was only when the problem was resolved that I would feel happy. But I was definitely not happy when I was in the thick of those problems. And to be clear, it's not like James is saying, Just chill, don't panic, or Be calm and carry on, but consider it pure joy. My first reaction to this was, You have got to be kidding. How insensitive. How unrealistic.

How am I supposed to be joyful when my mother is diagnosed with cancer, or when I'm facing suffering, struggling in my own failing body, or bankruptcy, loss of a job, possibly my home, when I go through a divorce, when I'm rejected or cut off from loved ones, when my child walks away from the family or from the faith? Joy? Really? And though it may seem unrealistic and insensitive, what I've learned is it's very reasonable and practical once ingested and employed. James is giving us the key to moving through crisis, catastrophes, disappointment, and disasters successfully with hope and peace and confidence, and yes, even joy. Here, I'm going to give a shameless plug.

Hopefully you heard Paul teach on joy in Galatians 5 on the STW podcast. If not, please check it out. You'll be so glad you did. So back to James. As I looked more closely at some of these words and phrases that James used in the verses, then I began to grasp his meaning. Phrases like, Whenever you face trials.

Notice it's not if you face troubles, or you might have a trial, or watch out, some of you could have tribulation. But whenever you face trials of many kinds, it's very reminiscent of Jesus promising his disciples, In this world you will have troubles of many kinds. Because it's a fact, Jack, we face trials here on planet Earth. Face in the Greek meant to be taken by surprise, which trials and emergencies tend to do just by definition, right? I think we would all agree that troubles and tribulation are not just hard, difficult, awful, but unexpected. They're usually events that we are unprepared for, unwanted circumstances, unforeseen problems, unwelcome solutions and situations, or being blindsided by an antagonistic and downright hateful person in your circle.

Basically, it's any situation beyond our control that is dreaded, feared, and that we do not see coming. I think we all agree that troubles and tribulation are not just hard, difficult, awful, but unexpected. They're usually events we are unprepared for, unwanted circumstances, unforeseen problems, unwelcome situations, or even being blindsided by that antagonistic, downright hateful person in your circle. Basically, it's any situation beyond our control that is dreaded, feared, and that we do not see coming. Also notice it's not a trial of one kind, but trials of many kinds, many indicating a bunch of them. Kinds.

Meaning all different sorts, different ways, different challenges, and different devastations, many kinds. I like those words together when they refer to flavors of ice cream, but not so much when referring to trials. It's as though James is saying, I know that right now you may be knocked back on your heels. You may be rattled to your core. You may be in great anguish, pain, and distress. But, he reminds them, you know that the testing has a good work.

It has a purpose. See, trials reveal, expose whether or not our faith is authentic. It's a process to show us and others if our faith is real. Because trials show us what we actually believe about God. Do we really have faith in Jesus? Do we actually believe who He said He is?

Do we really believe in heaven and that this life is not the end game? Do we really think that we will go and be with Him when our bodies wear out? Testing and trials reveal where our hope lies and where our joy lies. Is our hope and joy and security in a life of ease? Is it because of money, another person, reputation, that we feel joy or safe? Is it contingent upon our family traditions, our advanced education, physical fitness, that makes us feel good or happy or content?

Is it our reliance upon herbs, vitamins, supplements, or the medical community that we get our security or peace? Or is our faith Our hope, even in the midst of suffering, confusion, and hardship, what keeps us afloat, moving ahead, and peaceful. In these verses, James gives us the key to facing these situations with godly wisdom, peace, strength, and joy. Now, granted, it's a rather disjointed progression found in verses 2, 3, 5, and 12. So it's kind of a who, what, when, where, and how type of situation. We already know the who and the what from verse 2.

Dear brothers and sisters, facing trials of many kinds. But it's the why we find in verse 3 and 12. Verse 3 says, For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. For when your endurance is fully developed, you'll be mature and complete, needing nothing. Perseverance and endurance sometimes feel like a gut check. Webster defines it as being persistent, single-minded, and tenacious.

The Bible defines it as bearing up under the weariness, straining and never stopping, and yet staying hopeful. James is saying that perseverance and endurance leads to something. It's not just a gut check, but instead it brings a benefit, growth, and maturity. Unfortunately, it seems that our faith doesn't really get mature or healthier without testing trials or troubles. It's the place or the opportunity to To grow up. One year in our women's study, we did Richard Foster's The Spiritual Disciplines.

As a visual reminder of growth and spiritual maturity, we kept a gigantic pair of underwear out as a prop, opposed to a baby diaper. Each week, we encouraged each other, Keep going and keep growing, kind of like Dory encouraging Nemo to just keep swimming. Because we knew that our individual trials and struggles would lead to growth if we persevered. Eventually, we would be wearing our big girl spiritual pants, being mature and complete, lacking nothing. And not only big girl pants, but a tiara. Because according to verse 12, God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.

Afterwards, they will receive a crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. So we get to grow up and we get a prize. Now you're really speaking my language. Those are the verses I do like. Then James tells us how to not just survive, but to thrive, how to be joyful as we persevere. And that is by asking for help, by asking for wisdom on how to handle the situation.

James encourages us in verse 5, If you need wisdom, ask. Ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. So as I see it, we're really not— Smart enough to understand and solve these problems, we need a big sovereign God-type wisdom for direction and perspective. We cannot have divine wisdom apart from a divine God. Unfortunately, sometimes when trials hit, I usually go straight to, Oh Lord, please take this away.

And then when it doesn't just vanish, I think, Oh yeah, I need to ask for wisdom. James and his audience knew the Hebrew definition for wisdom, which is the ability to live life successfully, understanding how to apply knowledge to real-life situations. So he encourages them, well, us, to go to God, who knows everything, to enable us to negotiate our way through the trial. The Lord promises to give us insight, ideas, strategies to employ that we could not come up with on our own. He will guide us, lead us, instruct us, and comfort us as we move through these difficult, devastating, challenging, and troubling times in our lives. God will answer.

He wants you to be successful. He wants to help you. He longs to give you a new perspective, and He has the ability to do so. He alone has the power and the desire to do that for us. Now that I'm in my 60s and looking back over my life with these verses in mind, I realize how important and true they actually are. They hold the secret to facing our world being rocked in all kinds of trials with victory, grace, and yes, even joy.

Now, since I get it, now, since I understand, I want to emulate James' urgency and plea. To please consider it all joy, beloved, when you face trials of many kinds. James wasn't being insensitive, but rather he was showing kindness, honesty, and giving them, us, well, me, guidance during unexpected, gut-wrenching, and mind-bending times of crisis, giving hope during those outrageously confusing and difficult situations that they would be facing, that we would be facing, and to trust that they do have a purpose, a meaning, a value, and are beneficial. So, if you're in a trial right now, most likely it's the very thing that you're consumed with, struggling with at this moment, the thing that you're hoping will go away or will change, or maybe you're even praying for it to stop, even if you don't believe in prayer.

Instead of focusing on the sorrow and loss and hardship, how about focusing on not wasting it and giving James' advice a try? Please persevere, my friend. Ask God for wisdom to negotiate the struggles and to help you consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because it will produce maturity and it will result in a crown, which is much better than making nine laps around the bakery just for a coffee cake. This is Share the Word. I'm Margie, and thank you so much for joining us. What an incredible message.

Margie, thank you. We all go through trials and troubles. But is praying to God your first response, or is it your last resort? And if you've been blaming God for your troubles, then we all pray that you'll hear God's wisdom that Margie brings to light in this first chapter of James. It'll make a profound difference in your life. It did for me.

And this was a reminder that I still have work to do. From all of us at Share the Word, our blessings and prayers go out to all of you.