Daily Lectionary Readings for November 13, 2010
Psalm 39
Joel 3:9-17
James 2:1-13
Luke 16:10-17
James 2:1-13 and Luke 16:10-17
“For whoever keeps the law, but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” (James 2:10)
“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much, and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.” (Luke 16:10)
These two statements make for some interesting interplay between these two passages from today’s lectionary. James says you fail at one point in the law and you are guilty. Luke has Jesus saying that an inclination towards being faithful in the small things indicates an inclination to be faithful in large things as well. I think these two passages work nicely together and have a couple of points that jump out at me. One is that our actions matter and that it is our actions with which we must first be concerned. It is not our job to judge the actions of others, but it is our call to be aware of our obedience or lack of obedience in our own lives. A daily review of the ways in which I have been at odds with God’s law, the ways I have been honest with myself about my sin are important. What I do with what is entrusted to me matters. Whether it is great or small it is my opportunity to be faithful. Second, everything matters, everything counts, stewardship or obedience – either one – are whole life issues. Being obedient in ninety-percent of my actions (and I’m not claiming that by any stretch) would not lessen my culpability for the one percent. Our whole life matters. Faithfulness with many things is not the same as faithfulness in all things. God desires faithfulness in all things, great and small.
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