Scripture: James 5:7-11 (NKJV)
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the
farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it
until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish
your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against
one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at
the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord,
as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who
endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by
the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Devotion
Patience may rightly be reckoned as “faith over an extended period of time.”
That is, a lack of patience is a matter of lacking faith. When we are impatient
with others, we are that way because we don’t believe that they will
improve—or, maybe, that they are even trying.
Considering that all men are sinners—even all Christians, even those closest
and dearest to us—we may well feel justified in our impatience with them. Yet,
the Holy Spirit has St. James write to us that we are not to grumble against
one another in such impatience. This is akin to what Luther writes in the Large
Catechism concerning our sins against the Fifth Commandment: even though others
provoke us, we cannot do them harm. (Luther speaks about us as vengeful
individuals here; he is not speaking against defending another in an emergency
even with violence, soldiers involved in justly waged wars, or anything of that
nature.)
Instead, we endure them even as our Lord has had to endure us, even as His
prophets then and His pastors now have had to speak God’s Word and suffer its
(and their) being abused, not seeing the results—the ‘crop’—as they sowed.
James tells us to remember St. Job and to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord’s
compassion, mercy, and the intended end He has for us, as then we will
persevere. That is, recall that you were Baptized not just for that day, but
for today, as well, and, indeed, for all eternity, as in Baptism you were
connected with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, so that you
shall also certainly be raised for all eternity in Him.
Grant us patience, O Heavenly Father, that we may portray for our brethren the
same grace in which we trust You to look at us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
The Lutheran Herald is a publication of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of
North America. These daily devotions are authored by the bishop, pastors, and
deacons of the diocese. Daily posts are provided by The Reverend Jeffrey A.
Ahonen.
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