Posted by
TAB on Saturday, June 07, 2008 4:26:10 PM
James, the Bondservant
"James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve trives which are scattered abroad:" James 1:1 (NKJV).
James, the writer of this God breathed letter, is like Jude a half brother of the Lord Jesus. His father is Joseph, and his mother is Mary. Jesus’s mother is Mary, but His Father is Almighty God. The brothers could have played on being a brother to the Lord, but neither one chose to do so. Instead they saw themselves as a "bondservant". They chose to be His servants, rather than be known as His brothers.
The humility of James is brought to our attention from the start. We must learn from these men. We know by what we are taught by the apostle Paul that we are "joint heirs with Christ", yet we cannot act and behave as though we are on equal par with our Lord and Savior. James didn’t, nor should we.
James was a key leader of the Jerusalem church. He is even called one of the "Pillars" of the church (Galations 2:9). He only sees himself as a servant of Christ.
This letter is written to Jewish Christians. They have been dispersed throughout the land. They have been scattered due to persecution, beginning probably with the stoning of Stephen, and the harsh rule of Herod. The "twelve tribes" does refer to the tribes of Israel, and the Northern and Southern kingdoms are no longer separate, but have been brought together in the New Testament, and even previous to the New Testament; such as in books of Ezra, and Nehemiah.
James writes as a Jew to the Jews, but these words are for the Christian of our day (2008). Let us never back away from these words, the teaching of James, and of our Lord and Savior. Let us put on the cloak of humility such as James and his brother Jude, and let us sit at the feet of our Lord Jesus, and learn from Him. He is Lord.
Walk With God Today.
-by Tim A. Blankenship