Mark Twain, the irreverent American humorist, once remarked: “ It ain’t those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand.”
A journey through the New Testament letter of James reveals how clear and uncomplicated the Scriptures can be. James talks like an Old Testament prophet – and like Jesus Himself. He is clear, blunt, and to the point. Jesus, for example, used word-pictures called parables. He used examples we can understand:
- A farmer planting seed
- A woman baking bread
- A traveler mugged by robbers
- Two men who went to church to pray
- A shepherd whose sheep wandered off
- A son who ran away from home
Throughout his epistle, James also uses clear words, simple pictures:
- A wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind
- A wild flower, withered and scorched by the heat
- The stars above us – the heavenly lights
- A man looking into a mirror
- A rich man in fancy clothes
- A poor man in shabby clothes
- A bit in the mouth of a horse
- A rudder on the sail of a ship
- A spark setting a forest on fire
- Animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea
- The human tongue
- Fresh water and salt water
- A fig tree and a grapevine
- A man planning a business trip
- Morning fog
- Workmen mowing the fields
- Autumn and spring rains
Whether people believe God’s word or deny it, they can’t say that they don’t understand it. On the journey toward home, God has given us a clear word!