James & Jude: Humility & Repentance
God’s People on Mission
James & Jude: Humility & Repentance
While we don’t know a whole lot about Jesus’ early life, we know enough to understand that He’d have grown up in quite a large family. The Bible makes it very clear that Joseph and Mary went on to have a large family, at least six other children. We read in the Gospels:
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You.” (Luke 8:19 – 20)
And in another Gospel:
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. (Mark 6:3)
Four brothers listed, and sisters is plural so that means at least two if not more. But what must have been hard for Jesus, and also for Mary and Joseph, is that it wasn’t until after His resurrection that they believed in Him. John writes:
For even His brothers did not believe in Him. (John 7:5)
I’m sure that it comforts many people who have grown up with difficult family dynamics to know that Jesus had faced similar hardships – including these:
· That His brothers and sisters hadn’t come to terms with what we expect had been shared with them regarding Jesus’ position and destiny.
· That at some point between the age of 12 and 30, Jesus lost His earthly father Joseph, thus, along with suffering grief, would place an increased burden on the firstborn son.
· And overshadowing all of this, was the belief by everyone who didn’t know better (most of the neighbours and possibly extended family) that Jesus was conceived out of wedlock rather than by the Holy Spirit.
Not an easy childhood.
But it is the turn around – the repentance of at least two of His brothers that I want to focus on here as we consider what it means to be people who love and serve Jesus and are ready for Him to work in us in a way that glorifies Him.
By the time we get to Acts 15, James, the brother listed in Mark’s Gospel, has become a respected voice in the Christian Church. He has a position of leadership, facilitating or chairing one of the most important and influential meetings of the Church Body in the New Testament. He makes the statement (moves the motion maybe in Baptist language), that determines the course of action over one of the most contentious changes in the church at the time; what God wanted them to do about the Gentiles who were becoming believers in astonishing numbers.
James’ leadership on this occasion is both respected and followed by all in attendance, including Peter and Paul.
Then we discover that this same James, along with Judas (referred to as Jude), both write Epistles that were accepted, shared among the churches and later adopted as part of the New Testament, what we know as the Epistles of James and of Jude.
This could only happen if they had repented of their mistakes, maybe their hard and stubborn hearts, and come humbly before the Lord asking for forgiveness.
To be someone who is ready to be used of God, we need to be people who firstly have strong convictions regarding the Gospel, but also maintain soft and gentle hearts, holding carefully to those (not foundational) areas of doctrine that wise and God-fearing brothers and sisters see differently. This allows us to walk in loving unity while we all continue to learn ‘on the job.’
And we need to be ready and open to correction, listening to our brothers and sisters, and testing everything with God’s Word.
What helps me, is to remember that one day I’ll stand before the Lord, and in that moment I’ll immediately know all the mistakes I’ve made – even the ones I was certain were true. So walking in humility today will keep me from shame in the future. And not only that, it will keep me teachable and ready for God to move and be glorified in my life today.
