Above: Tobias Saying Good-Bye to His Father, by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Image in the Public Domain
Tobit had suffered for acting faithfully and compassionately. His son took great risks to help him in the Book of Tobit.
Divine Commandments, the Image of God, and Spiritual Struggles
JANUARY 3 and 4, 2024
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The Collect:
Almighty and ever-living God, you revealed the incarnation of your Son by the brilliant shining of a star.
Shine the light of your justice always in our hearts and over all lands,
and accept our lives as the treasure we offer in your praise and for your service,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 21
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The Assigned Readings:
Proverbs 1:20-33 (January 3)
Proverbs 3:1-12 (January 4)
Psalm 110 (Both Days)
James 4:1-10 (January 3)
James 4:11-17 (January 4)
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The king at your right hand, O Lord,
shall smite down kings in the day of his wrath.
In all his majesty, he shall judge the nations,
smiting heads over all the wide earth.
–Psalm 110:5-6, Common Worship (2000)
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The assigned readings for these two days include generous amounts of divine judgment and mercy. Obey God’s instructions, they say, and life will be better in the short, medium, and long terms than if one disregards them. Some of the content in Proverbs leans in the direction of Prosperity Theology, unfortunately. Nevertheless, as other passages of scripture indicate, those who suffer for the sake of righteousness do so in the company of God.
James 4, along with the rest of that epistle, focuses on human actions and their spiritual importance. In the Letter of James faith is intellectual, hence the epistle’s theology of justification by works. This does not contradict the Pauline theology of justification by faith, for faith, in Pauline theology, is inherently active. These two parts of the New Testament depart from different places and arrive at the same destination. Recognizing the image of God in others then treating them accordingly is a loving thing to do. It is a faithful thing to do. It is also a frequently dangerous thing to do.
This is a devotion for two days leading up to the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6), the commemoration of the Magi, who put their lives on hold for years and took many risks. The Epiphany is also a feast about the Gospel of Jesus going out to the Gentiles, of which I am one. Part of the significance of the Feast of the Epiphany in my life is the reality that people (especially those different from me) are more than they appear; they are bearers of the divine image. As such, they have inherent dignity and potential. Sometimes I recognize this reality easily in others, but I have a certain difficulty sometimes in recognizing it in those who have wronged me. That is a spiritual issue which James 4:11-12 tells me to address. Grace is available for that, fortunately.
Each of us has spiritual failings to address. May you, O reader, deal with yours successfully, by grace. May you obey God’s commandments and live compassionately, regardless of the costs.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 9, 2014 COMMON ERA
PROPER 27: THE TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF MARTIN CHEMNITZ, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF BARTON STONE, COFOUNDER OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
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ADVENT, CHRISTMAS, AND EPIPHANY DEVOTIONS 
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