Grading on a Curve

A Series on the book of James
Favoritism forbidden
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
James 2:1-13 

[James is one of my favorite books of the Bible. In some ways, it’s similar to Old Testament wisdom literature like Proverbs. It includes many practical applications to help a believer grow in their faith. In this series, we will look at the wisdom of James’ letter and how it applies to our lives.]

  

When I was in school, I was a decent student. I paid attention in class, did my homework and studied for exams. But if a teacher graded on a curve, it was common knowledge that you didn’t have to work as hard. Just harder than the other guy.

 

Grading on a curve encourages us to compare ourselves to others. It doesn’t push us to excellence; it doesn’t push us to perfection. Instead, it allows us to accept mediocrity. This is true, not just in the classroom, but also in life.

 

The Jewish Christians to whom James wrote his letter, had a problem with showing favoritism to rich people. What he wrote regarding this was a scathing indictment.

 

¹ My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?    NLT

 

In their defense, you can understand why it might have been a temptation. During the first century, the vast majority of people were extremely poor. Plus, keep in mind that these believers had scattered across the Mediterranean world to flee from persecution. As a result, they were living on the edge – barely surviving at times.

 

So, if they crossed paths with someone of means; someone who dressed well; someone who was wealthy – it would have been easy to rationalize why it was okay for them to manipulate that person for their own personal financial benefit. While at the same time, ignoring the needs of poor people.

 

But not for James. Sounding similar to one of the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he reminded them about how God views poor people.

 

⁵ Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?          NLT

 

Then he quoted the “royal law” from Leviticus – “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Following this he explained that by showing favoritism, the believers were sinning. They were breaking the “royal law”. And if you break one of God’s laws, you break all of them.

 

Grading on a curve in life makes it much easier. All we have to do is find someone who we’re just a little bit better than. For example, we can say, “I may have showed favoritism, but at least I didn’t murder anyone”.

 

In America, we live in a secular culture where there are no absolute truths. But God doesn’t grade on a curve. His Word is unchanging. It’s immutable. This would be bad news for us except for the fact that we have a loving and merciful God.

 

Paul, who before he was converted, was systematically persecuting the church with murder in his heart. After his conversion, he had this to say about the mercy of God.

 

¹⁶ But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.              NLT   1 Timothy 1

 

Copyright 2026 Joseph B Williams

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www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

The Wilds

A Series on Living in the Wilderness
Saul
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Acts 7:54-8:3 

[In this series we’ll be looking at people who lived in the wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s important to remember that the Lord is faithful, that He loves you and is always with you.]

  

Our youngest granddaughter Josie loves animals. Recently, my wife and I took her to a wildlife and safari park called The Wilds. They have 10,000 acres of rolling hills where wild animals from around the world are free to roam.

 

As your safari bus navigates the bumpy washboard dirt roads, the animals can walk right up to you. We had both camels and rhinoceros come within a few feet of us. My granddaughter thought the rhinos were “so adorable”.

 

Although the animals are wild, as the name of the park indicates, we didn’t observe any wild behavior per se. There was certainly nothing like the wild animal behavior that Stephen experienced from the Sanhedrin and Saul.

 

Beginning with Pentecost, the first century church was very visible. They met every day in public in the temple courts where the Apostles would perform signs and wonders and teach about Jesus. They even went from house to house proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Messiah.

 

Crowds of people gathered from towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick to be healed. The movement was spreading like wildfire. Literally, thousands of people had believed in the Lord.

 

The Christian church was so noticeable that the religious leaders couldn’t ignore them. In fact, they were furious with the apostles’ teaching to the point of wanting to put them to death. Instead, they bided their time which came quickly.

 

While in the temple, Stephen got into a heated argument with some religious leaders. As a result, they took him before the Sanhedrin having made false accusations of blasphemy. During his defense, Stephen said something that infuriated the Sanhedrin so much that they gnashed their teeth at him.

 

Then in a blind rage, they dragged him out to the edge of the city and stoned him to death with Saul’s approved. Their illegal act of capital punishment triggered more hatred for the church. It was like blood in the water attracting sharks.

 

^1b and on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ³ But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.      NASB

 

According to the New Bible Commentary, the word ravaging can be expounded to mean “like a wild beast does to the body of its victim”. In other words, Saul was so full of venomous hatred that he acted like a wild animal. That is, until he came face to face with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

 

We all have that wild animal instinct within us. It’s in our nature to rebel against the Lord. Thankfully, Jesus wants to show us his grace and mercy to bring us out of the wilderness; out of the wilds. Like he did with Saul.

 

Paul himself said it like this when he wrote to the church in Ephesus.

 

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.            NIV

 

So, come meet Jesus… face to face.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com

 

 

The Hitch Hiker

A Series on the parables of Jesus
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 10:25-37 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

My worst hitch hiking experience came at the end of spring break in 1970. Because of a personal crisis at the time, I decided to delay my return to school at Michigan Tech. As a result, I didn’t have a ride back which is significant because it was a 450-mile trip. And, for some unknown reason, I decided to hitch hike!

 

If you’re at all familiar with northern Michigan and the upper peninsula of Michigan, you understand that it is a vast region of either heavily wooded forests or open wilderness with very little traffic. Thankfully, a trucker picked me up and gave me some cardboard to make a sign with “MTU” on it.

 

But, when he dropped me off in the middle of nowhere in the upper peninsula with a foot and a half of snow still on the ground, my prospects were bad. Did I mention that the UP was not heavily traveled? And I was still 250 miles from Tech.

 

Jesus told a parable about a Jewish traveler. He was walking by himself on a stretch of road that was surrounded by harsh hills and rugged wilderness. It was dangerous not only because of the terrain, but also because robbers often attacked people along the trail. That’s exactly what happened to him.

 

The traveler was beaten, stripped and left for dead. Two people walked past him without helping - a priest and a Levite. Finally, a Samaritan came along, took compassion on the traveler and stopped to help him. What’s so remarkable about this is that Jews and Samaritans had hated each other for centuries.

 

The setting of this parable was when an expert of the law had asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus had finished telling the parable, he asked the expert which of the three had been a neighbor to the beaten man. The expert couldn’t even bring himself to say it was the Samaritan.

 

³⁷ The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”         NLT

 

On the surface, it appears that Jesus’ parable didn’t answer the original question about inheriting eternal life. But it does. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable to explain who would enter the kingdom of heaven.

 

³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’       NLT

 

Who is your neighbor? Is it a hitch hiker on a lonely highway? Or is it someone who is hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison? Do you show them mercy… or walk by on the other side of the road?

 

***

¹⁵ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

                                                                                                Matthew 11 NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

Debt!

A Series on Lent: Peter’s Journey
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Mt 18:21-35

[Lent is a time of reflection. During Lent, we will be looking at Peter’s Journey to learn how his reflections on his own life, his culture, his religion and his savior changed his life forever.]

  

You go into debt to buy your home, buy your car, send your children to college, remodel your home, or when you go on a once in a lifetime vacation. At one time or another, my wife and I have been indebted in all of these examples. But I don’t ever remember anyone forgiving one of my debts.

 

Peter asked Jesus “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus proceeded to tell Peter a story about debt. Although the parable isn’t really about money, it’s a good metaphor that applies to Peter’s question. Here’s how Jesus responded.

 

²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

²³ “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. ²⁴ In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. ²⁵ He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.    NLT

 

The practice of “debt slavery” was one that Peter would have been familiar with. Desperately poor people trying to work off their indebtedness to Gentile landowners often became “debt slaves”. In fact, most often they would fall further behind in debt just like the servant in the story.

 

Despite the unrealistic size of the servant’s debt, the king forgave him. Although this was an example of hyperbole, Peter would have understood. The point being that Peter had been forgiven much by God and because of that, he was expected to forgive others; no matter how many times.

 

We don’t know what prompted Peter to ask his question. It sounds like he may have been trying to find the path of least resistance. Or, earlier in Matthew 18, we read that the disciples had argued about who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Maybe Peter was holding a grudge towards someone he’d argued with.

 

Whatever the situation, like Peter, we have been forgiven our debt. A debt so big that there’s no way we could ever repay it. It’s millions! And yet, our heavenly Father did just that through the death and resurrection of His one and only son.

 

Just like Jesus taught his disciples to pray, now it’s our turn to forgive others as we have been forgiven.

 

¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6 NIV

 

But, like Peter, sometimes it’s not easy.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

My Short List

A Series on the Beatitudes
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 5:7; Matthew 18:21-35

[In this series, we will be looking at the Beatitudes from the perspective that Jesus came to establish his kingdom. In order to do that, he needed to set new expectations; to let his followers know that his was a spiritual kingdom, not political. To teach them what it means to bring in his kingdom; what it means to turn the world upside down.] 

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.      ESV

 

 

The first real job that I had was as a busboy/dishwasher at a Jerrys Restaurant in Morehead Kentucky during the summer of 1968. It was located right across the street from Morehead State University, and during peak hours it was packed. I did the job of two people and earned a whole 88 cents an hour.

 

One Friday night at the end of the summer, the owner had invited the high school football team to the restaurant after their game. He must have been a booster, or frustrated coach or “has been” football player. Whatever the case, he was NEVER at the restaurant, but on this occasion he was at the grill ready to cook steaks.

 

As we waited for the team to arrive there was absolutely nothing to do, so I made some small talk. He turned to me, and looked me in the face and said, “You know if you worked as good as you talk, you’d be a good worker”. To this day, I wish I had walked off the job. What a jerk.

 

It’s easy to hold a grudge, but Jesus doesn’t call us to live that way. He calls us to forgive; to show mercy; to bring in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Peter must have held a few grudges in his day, because on one occasion he asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him?” Jesus proceeded to tell him the story of the unforgiving servant.

 

The point is that Jesus shows us mercy and in turn, we should show others mercy. He put it like this in the beatitude.

 

⁷ “Happy are those who are merciful to others;
    God will be merciful to them!   GNT

 

⁷ “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.       MSG

 

While thinking about this beatitude, I asked myself the question, “Who do I hold a grudge against”. It was a fairly short list, but obviously those grudges go deep and far; as far back as 1968.

 

God showed the depth of His love and mercy for me by sending his only son to die for my sins. In doing so, he made it possible for me to be forgave. Can I do any less for my short list?

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

A Clean Desk is a Sign of a Sick Mind

A Series on Women in the Bible
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
John 11:17-44

[God worked in and through the lives of countless women in the Bible. These women played significant, if not critical roles in the Lord’s plan of Redemption. In this series, we will look at the faithfulness of some of these God fearing women.]

  

There are two types of people in this world; those that are organized, and those that aren’t. 

You can easily identify which category a person falls into by looking at their desk. Over the years, I’ve come across people whose desk looked like a tornado hit it. Their belief seems to be, “A clean desk is a sign of a sick mind!”

 

In contrast, the desk of an organized person is very… organized. Everything is in its proper place; in neat piles, systematically located for the right time. If somebody dares to move something on their desk, the organized person can tell immediately.

 

Both of these types of individuals fulfill a role in society; both have gifts to be utilized; both also have a part to play in God’s plan. Last week I wrote about Mary of Bethany. She had a sister by the name of Martha, who would probably be considered organized; or at the very least, functional.

 

In John 11, Martha had a very functional, if not theological discussion with Jesus. This was during the pain and grief following the death of her brother Lazarus.

 

²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died…

²⁵ Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me
will live, even after dying. ²⁶ Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”          NLT

 

A little later, when Jesus was about to call Lazarus out from the dead, this exchange took place between Jesus and Martha, making you wonder if she would ever truly get it.

 

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”                  

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”            NIV

 

Yes, Martha was very functional, pragmatic and analytic; dealt in the realm of ideas more than feelings or relationships; liked to keep busy with her hands rather than to contemplate; was highly organized, and maybe even a little OCD.

And yet, she was a child of God; someone who knew Jesus personally. She had a role and a purpose in his brief ministry on earth. She was a follower of Jesus who knew who he was, and what his mission was.

 

Time and again, Jesus showed Martha grace and mercy; the same grace and mercy that he shows us.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

CELEBRATE!

Isaiah 61:1-11

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2061&version=NIV;ESV

  

What is your most memorable celebration? For me, it was when my wife had a surprise birthday party for my fiftieth birthday. My brother’s job was to get me out of the house while my wife and sister-in-law decorated and all the guests arrived.

 

When my brother and I were about to return early before everything was ready, he faked heart attack symptoms. He must have been a good actor because I believed him. When we finally returned, all the guests were on the deck waiting to yell “Surprise!” And it was. In fact, it was a wonderful celebration.

 

As a young Jewish nation was preparing to occupy the Promised Land, God gave them the Law and rules to live by. Rules that would lead to celebration. The Year of Jubilee (described in Isaiah 61, but originated in Leviticus 25) was a yearlong celebration to be repeated every fifty years.

 

During Jubilee, all the prisoners were to be set free; all the slaves were to be released; all debts were to be forgiven; and all property was to be returned to its original owner. In addition, people were to not work land, which means that Jubilee provided a year of rest for not only the people, but also the land.

 

For many, Jubilee was to be an opportunity for them to start over with a clean slate; with nothing to feel guilty for or ashamed of. What would it mean for you to start over with a clean slate?

 

When Jesus started his ministry, he quoted from Isaiah 61.

 

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”       Luke 4 ESV

 

According to Leviticus 25, the Year of Jubilee started on the Day of Atonement. This was when the sins of Israel were laid on the head of a scapegoat, and were taken into the wilderness to pay for their sins.

 

Jesus did the same thing for you and me. He took our sins upon himself into the wilderness. We didn’t deserve to be set free from sin, but he did it anyhow. Just like those who were set free as a part of the Year of Jubilee.

 

Let’s celebrate!

 

 

 

 

Survivor: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay

Hebrews 4:12-16

 

Survivor - It is one of my wife’s and mine favorite TV shows. We watch every episode and get into the lives of the players. We find ourselves cheering for some and against others based on their behaviors and attitudes.

 

Imagine though, what it would be like to have a camera recording every action you take, every thought you have, every word you say and every motivation that drives you. You don’t have to imagine.

 

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account”.         Hebrews 4:13 NIV

 

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away, you know my every thought… Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it.”     Psalm 139:1-4 TLB

 

If we are honest with ourselves, these verses would make us very uncomfortable. After all, our eternal judgment is at stake, and if God knows everything about us, we don’t have much hope. But some of the most hopeful words in the Bible are included in Hebrews.

 

“But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest who has gone to heaven itself to help us; therefore let us never stop trusting him.  This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses since he had the same temptations we do, though he never once gave way to them and sinned”.            4:14-15 TLB

 

On Survivor, a jury of peers judge the final three participants. This jury is made up of the same people that the final players had a hand in voting out of the game. They may have been blind-sided by them, lied to or manipulated. They have observed the finalist over the last 39 days when they have been at their worst; thinking only of themselves; of what it would take for them to win the game, and doing anything to get there.

 

Although our Judge will be able to know and observe everything there is about us throughout our whole lives, both the worst and the best, we can still approach Him boldly and receive both mercy and grace.

 

 ^“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need”.          Hebrews 4:16           JB Phillips

 

What more do we need to survive than this? What more do we need to be victorious?