Living a Faith that can be Seen: James 1:1-11
A PROFOUND RESPONSE TO TRIALS The TV show, Dragnet, was an old black-and-white cop show from the golden age. I never really watched it, but I do remember the catchphrase of the main character, Joe Friday. Friday was a detective with the Los Angeles Police and was a real straight shooter. When a witness to a crime would prattle on about irrelevant details, Friday would cut to the quick with his famous line, “Just the facts ma’am.” Some would call James the “Joe Friday” of the NT. He cuts to the chase without fluff. He’s not really interested in hearing your profession of faith. He wants to see you practice your faith. You could say that James is the least theological letter of the NT, but you could also say that it is the most practical. James wanted his readers to have a faith that could be seen in their actions. Who was James? There were three men named James in the NT. The James of “Peter, James, and John” fame, James the son of Alphaeus (a lesser-known ap