Faith Without Works is Dead

This week’s second reading is from James, and it has been controversial among Christians for centuries.  James is correcting a problem with understanding faith.  He is showing that faith is alive, and the works we do show our faith and help build it up.  In Jas 2:15-17, James says: “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?  So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Faith is never alone; the love God gives us compels us to do His work.  The Council of Trent describes this as our human cooperation with grace.

The dispute over Justification between Catholics and Protestants started with Martin Luther and was mostly put to rest on October 31, 1999 with a document called Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.  Over time, more Christian organizations have signed the agreement.  It is now a five-way agreement between the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Methodist Council, the Anglican Communion, and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The declaration agrees with both Paul and James;  Yes, we are justified through faith, but we grow in grace and reveal our faith through works.

 

Jesus asks his disciples who people think he is. The responses they give — John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets — reflect various opinions circulating among the people at the time about Jesus’ identity and his role. These are significant figures in Jewish tradition, indicating that people viewed Jesus in the context of past prophetic figures. When Jesus asks the disciples directly who they believe he is, Peter responds with a profound declaration: “You are the Christ.” The term “Christ” means “Anointed One” and is equivalent to “Messiah” in Hebrew. It signifies that Peter recognizes Jesus as the long-awaited Savior and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah.

 

Just after Peter recognizes Jesus as the Christ, the poor guy puts his foot in his mouth.  In Mark 8:32, Mark reports, “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke Him.” In Matthew 16:22, we get more detail of what he said: “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, ‘God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.'”  

 

It is super easy to have empathy with Peter in this moment.  We have all had those times in our life, where someone hands us some really troubling news, and we try to deny it as a means of comfort.  We want to say: “That won’t really happen; it will be okay.”  It’s natural to do.  

 

Jesus reply of “Get behind me, Satan, You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do,” in Mark 8:33, was probably quite the shock to poor Peter.  Jesus is buttressing his human self, and he has to, from being tempted to not do His Father’s will.  Peter meant well, but Jesus knew what He had to do, and Peter needed to know it had to be done.  In our lives, we can see how we can prepare for difficult moments, not by denying them, but by facing them.  

 

For more reading, check out the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification here:

We are a group of women who either knit, crochet, or use a loom to create either shawls, hats or scarves.  Shawls are given to anyone in need of prayers for surgery, illness or comfort.  The Shawls are prayed over as we begin them, continue as we create, and then receive a final blessing.  Each month, when we gather, we start the meeting in prayer, blessing the finished shawls and praying for the recipients of the shawls.

 

Our Loomers create hats and scarves.  Once a year, near December, they are given to various groups.  These groups include:  New Berlin Lionesses Club, Hope House, and meal programs in the Milwaukee area. We also have members who make items in their homes for the ministry.

 

The Prayer Shawl Ministry started in 2008, and the Loomers started in 2011.  The ministries merged in 2022.

 

For more information, either to volunteer or to receive a prayer shawl, Select Prayer Shawl and Loomer’s Ministry in the contact form at mphwa.org.