The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 350: Faith and Works (2023)

Episode Date: December 16, 2023

Fr. Mike provides the context and background of the letter of James. Fr. Mike unpacks the beautiful truths contained in the letter of James, including a discussion of faith and works and addressing the importance of demonstrating our intrinsic belonging to the Lord through our actions. Today’s readings are James 1-2, Philippians 3-4, and Proverbs 30:1-6. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds. And I'll weave it into that story today. It is day 350. You know what that means.

You can do math. There's only 365 days in the year. And so that means we're a few days away from the conclusion of this. We're actually, we've departed from the historical books. Now we've concluded the Acts of the Apostles yesterday. And today we're starting exclusively, essentially letters and then the book of Revelation at the end in a little over a week from now. But today we're reading James chapter one and two, as well as Philippians chapters three

and four. That's the conclusion of the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians and Proverbs chapter 30 verses one through six. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast and receive daily episodes and daily updates for the last 15 days of this podcast. You can do it if you like. If you don't, that is just fine. You need to stay 350. We're reading from James chapter one and two, Philippians chapters three and four and Proverbs chapter

30 verses one through six. The letter of James chapter one, salutation, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greeting. Faith and Wisdom. Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

Poverty and Riches Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass, its flower falls and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Trial and Temptation Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted,

I am tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will, he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. Know this, my beloved brethren, that every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God.

Therefore, put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who observes his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer that forgets, but a doer that acts, he shall be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their

affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Chapter 2. Warning Against Partiality. My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, Have a seat here, please, while you say to the poor man, Stand there, or sit at my feet, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren,

among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts. Listen, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, do not commit adultery, also said, do not kill.

If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you kill. If you do not commit adultery, but do kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Yet mercy triumphs over judgment. Faith without works is dead. What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them,

Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith. You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe and shudder.

Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works. And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead. St. Paul's letter to the Philippians, chapter 3, loss of all to gain Christ. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same thing to you is not irksome to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evil workers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the true circumcision who worship God in spirit and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also, if any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of

Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews, as to the law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness on my own based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings,

becoming like him in his death, that if possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Pressing toward the goal. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let those of us who are mature be thus minded, and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so walk as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their God is the belly. And they glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven. And from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body

by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. Chapter 4. Exhortations. Therefore, my brethren, whom I love and long for, Chapter 4. Exhortations. these women, for they have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do, and the God of peace will be with you. Acknowledgement of the Philippians' Gifts I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I complain of want, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in

giving and receiving except you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent me help once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit which increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am filled. Having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final greetings and benediction. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. The book of Proverbs chapter 30 verses 1 through 6. Sayings of Agur. The words of Agur, son of Jaka of Massa. The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ukal, surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has ascended to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what is his son's name? Surely you know. Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Father in heaven, we give you praise and glory. Thank you so much. Another day. Thank you, Lord, for another day, for this next step, for the letter of James, for the conclusion of St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. We thank you, God. We ask you to please help us to put these into practice. Help us to put this instruction into action in our lives. Help us to be not only hearers of the word, but also doers of your word. Lord God, let this time we've spent listening to your word not simply wash over us and we just forget it and are

unchanged by it, but help us to put this into practice, to put the love in our hearts into action in our lives and help us to do all of this in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God, the father, amen. In the name of the father and of the son and the Holy spirit. Amen. Well, praise God. Oh my gosh. We said we left behind it. He said yesterday, Acts chapter 28. And today we're starting the letter of James. Very short letter, only two days. Chapters one and two. And tomorrow will be chapters three, four, and five.

But James, who is James? James is, as he says, servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James is most likely, according to St. Jerome, James was the son of Clopas and Mary, the wife of Clopas. It says very clearly in scripture that Mary, the wife of Clopas, was the mother of James and Joses. And so there is a, I'd say a more recent tradition that, well, we could go through this whole thing, but we would say this, that the ancient tradition of the church has always been that Mary was a virgin, that she had no other children other than Jesus. We talked about this a couple of the times when we hit the gospels and how it said the brothers of Jesus is actually the Greek word adelphoi, which means,

could mean brothers, means relatives, could mean cousins. So the earliest tradition of the church was that Jesus had no other brothers. And that here again, even St. Jerome in third and fourth century was like, no, no, James is a cousin of Jesus. He's an adelphoi of Jesus. And he is the son of Mary, wife of Clopas, who is already indicated in scripture. So that's who James is. James is the Bishop of Jerusalem. We got that going. Okay. So he's writing in Jerusalem to the tribes of the dispersion, basically to all those Jewish Christians who are outside Palestine, outside that region. And this is, I love how Jeff talks about letter of James. He has a Bible study in it. I think it's called pearls of wisdom or something like this.

And it is so good because James is so good. And the Bible study is great because Jeff's great, but the Bible study is really great because the letter of St. James is just phenomenal where, oh my gosh, he begins by saying, count it all joy when you meet various trials for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And this is so, so incredible. I don't know what even to highlight because St. James talks about so many things in these first two chapters that are worth reflecting on and praying for. It's almost like the New Testament version of the book of Proverbs, where almost every line is another little gem, another little,

as Jeff talks about it, another pearl where we can take and just apply to our lives. For example, we would say this, we would say in verse 12, blessed is the man who endures the trial for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he's tempted, I'm tempted by God for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one. And then it's just really important for us to recognize this. It's so important. Another one, verse 19.

Know this, my beloved brethren, that every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not work for the righteousness of God. Just another gem and what a gift. We recognize also that St. James talks about true religion and false religion. He says, if anyone thinks he's religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, the man's religion is vain. I think that's fascinating, isn't it? Where we think, what does our speech have to do anything to do with belonging to true religion, belonging to the Lord for real in the depths of our heart?

Well, St. James will go on tomorrow. We're going to hear about this more. He'll go on to talk a little bit more about how our speech reveals the truth of our heart and how we will be reliable for every word that is uttered. And I think it's really remarkable. If anyone thinks he's religious, does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, that man's religion is vain. And again, I can go back to this because how often do we say words that ought not to be said? Oh my gosh. We just say stuff, say things of gossip. We say things of detraction.

We say things, again, we take the Lord's name in vain, all these pieces. And we realize that when we do that, we are demonstrating that we don't belong to the Lord. This is just bonkers. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Again, taking care of those that no one else is taking care of. That is what true religion is all about. And then we have, of course, we have this big teaching in James,

which is faith without works is dead. And this is really interesting. I don't want to be polemical about this, but it is really important. When St. Paul is writing about works, he's talking about works of the law. Remember that whenever St. Paul is writing and he's saying, you're not justified by works, you're justified by faith. Yes, he's talking about works of the law. He's talking about Old Testament covenant. The Old Testament covenant does not justify anyone. The New Testament covenant is what justifies. Jesus does justify us, right? Again, through grace, we're justified. We're saved by grace through faith. Working itself out in love is the full formulation of the Catholic vision of what salvation really is. Saved by grace, God's gift through faith. Yes, that response to God's gift, working itself out in love, because as scripture makes it absolutely clear today,

itself out in love because as scripture makes it absolutely clear today, faith without works is dead. And that faith cannot save us. In verse 24, you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. You know, I know, and I don't mean to make this into an argument, but one of the principles of the Protestant Reformation was faith alone, sola fide. And the hard thing, this kind of a challenging thing here is the only time those words, faith and alone, are put together in the scriptures are right here in chapter two of James, verse 24, when James says, you can see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

And so it's worth highlighting. Again, what I'm trying to do here, it's like I said a couple days ago, I'm not trying to make a case. I'm not trying to convince anyone. Actually, I kind of am. I really believe that Jesus founded the Catholic Church, and so, of course, I am. And I believe that every person will find the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church. And so, but all my Protestant brothers and sisters, all of our friends who are separated brethren in Christ, basically, I'm not trying to beat you over the head about this.

I do, I do believe that the Lord Jesus is calling you to become Catholic, but that's not the point. The point right now is just to explain a little bit about, wait a second, we've heard in Galatians, we've heard in Corinthians, we've heard these other places where St. Paul is saying that it's all about faith and not about works. And yet my story is that I hear you Catholics talking about works all the time.

Well, this is one of the places where, if you wanna know where do Catholics get the truth that we need both faith and works, we're not saved by works, we're not saved by works. That's important. But where is the place that Catholics get the idea that we need faith and works? Well, here we are.

This is one of the many places in James chapter two that comes from. Again, not trying to cause an argument, not trying to beat anyone about the head by this, but just trying to show here's where we get that from. And as I said, I love the Lord Jesus and I love our brothers and sisters who are Catholic, those who are not Catholic. But I do think, I think that everybody in the world should be Catholic. That's all I'm saying. St. Paul's letter to the Philippians. Ah, just consider, consider how St. Paul makes it so clear that everything else in life

is worthless when compared to Jesus. In fact, he says, whatever gain I had, this is chapter three, verse seven, whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.

And he goes on to make it even more intense. He says, for his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him. This is so important. Why? Because that word refuse is actually the word for, we'll say dung, we'll say dung. I count everything, every gift in the world, every good thing I can do in the world, every possession I could possibly have, every accomplishment I could possibly have.

I count that all to be fertilizer, we'll say, compared to knowing Jesus Christ. Not having a righteousness on my own based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible, I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Ah, so, so important. So good. Again, we're not saying one or the other, not saying faith or works. We're saying faith and works are so, so incredibly important. But also I love this. Uh, St. Paul's last exhortation. This is chapter four, verse four. Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I will say rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The last words that St. Paul has for us today in this letter to the Philippians are also just so good about what we feed ourselves with. He says, finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there's any excellence, anything worthy of praise, think about these things. There's this thing called the law of exposure. It's a psychological principle. The law of exposure is those things that you think about,

those things you expose yourself to, those are the things that shape your heart and they shape your mind. That's one of the reasons why for the last 350 days, we've been listening to God's word. The law of exposure is that if we think about things that are pure and good and beautiful and excellent, then those things take root in our lives and we become

like them. And that's what we've been striving after. Again, not just to learn more about God, although that's so important, but to be transformed to be like him because that's what he desires. He desires us to have hearts like him. And so that's what I'm praying for. I'm praying to all of us separated brethren and those who are not even Christian yet, maybe those who are on their way in RCIA to get baptized, that all of us one day may be united in Christ Jesus our Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit in one body, giving glory to the Father. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.