James and the Sermon on the Mount: Joy

There are many echoes, allusions, and references to Jesus’ teachings in the short but rich letter James writes. James, most likely Jesus’ brother, certainly had many of Jesus’ teachings on his mind as he wrote to persecuted Jews across the regions. Combined with wisdom from the literature of the Old Testament, the letter of James can be seen as a commentary on certain teachings of Jesus, specifically the collection known as the Sermon on the Mount. This combination of explanation and application is profound to us as believers today. In this series, we are going to explore these teachings in the context Jesus taught, and how James uses them. 

The first we are going to look at is having joy during trials. James starts his letter by getting to the heart of the matter. His audience is being persecuted, in the most likely sense, economically. The rich are suppressing the poor. Those who are not rich are suffering mightily. Even if they are not being persecuted by finances alone, they are still being persecuted and they need wisdom. James starts his teachings by saying, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3). James honestly believes a way to overcome persecution is not to fight back but to absorb the trials and receive them joy. When we parallel this with Jesus’ teaching on being persecuted in Matthew 5:12, we see a connection, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Jesus and James seem to give two different reasons why we should receive trials with joy. Jesus says we should be joyful because our reward in heaven is great. James says we should be joyful because trials produce perseverance in believers. He then goes on to say that perseverance, when it is all said and done, makes us complete. Jesus tells us the end result and James tells us how we get there. When we receive trials with joy, we are able to persevere so that we can receive our eternal reward. 
When we are facing persecution of any kind, it is difficult to say the least. It is not a natural reaction to receive it with joy. This requires prayerful requests and a spirit-filled mind. We must look not at the present situation but look ahead as James comments in verse 12, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” We must be aware that trials are trials, they are a test of our faith, and to be aware of that is the first step. We then reflect that Jesus took on the persecution first and He is our strength. When we do stand the test, when we persevere, we are made complete and our reward is great.