Brother Talk

Now that all four of my sons are more or less adults, I can't tell their voices apart.  I will be in the back of the house and will hear men talking in the front room and can't tell who is talking, they sound so much alike.

I think Mary, the mother of Jesus and of James, his half brother, may have experienced the same thing.

I took on the challenge of memorizing the entire book of James (Chapters 1-5) during our study of James this year.  Today, I recited it to the guests at our potluck luncheon.  Next week, we move into the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5:1-7:29.  I decided to begin memorizing this passage, now that I have so much free time on my hands.  As I was typing out Matthew 5, I felt like I was listening to two brothers talking in the other room.  I couldn't tell which one was talking, they sound so much alike!

ON KEEPING THE LAW

James 2:10: "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."

Jesus: (Matthew 5:19) "Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

James 1:22,25: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves,  Do what it says.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does."

ON SLANDER

Jesus: (Matthew 5:22) "I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell."

James 4:11,12;5:9 "Brothers, do no slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.  When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who able to save and destroy.  But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?  Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.  The Judge is standing at the door."

ON TAKING VOWS

Jesus: (Matthew 5:34-37) "But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne, or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your had, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

James 5:12: "Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else.  Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'no' no, or you will be condemned."

I'm sure there will be more, as I continue memorizing The Sermon on the Mount.  But, that's what I overheard in this "conversation between brothers."

All Scripture quoted from the New International Version of the Bible.

--Posted by Mama O.