January 3 | James 1:17-18

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DAILY READING

James 1:17-18

REFLECTION

Being First Fruits

By Todd Marti

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” James 1:17-18 (NASB, other translations here)

This week’s readings have shown how God extends his grace to us through Jesus, and  how we should respond to His loving initiative.  Today’s reading continues that, reminding us that every “good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father[.]” It also tells us how we should respond to those “good things”—we are to be “a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

What does that mean? What are “first fruits” and how do we go about being such fruits? The context of James’ letter provides guidance.

James was writing to Jewish Christians who would have been familiar with the Hebrew scriptures, what we now refer to as the Old Testament. Those scriptures required farmers to sacrifice a sample of the very first of their crops.  The purpose was to show their gratitude to God and their trust that He would help them successfully bring in the rest of their crops. Leviticus 23:9-14. James’ statement that God desires us to be like “first fruits” can therefore be read as a direction that Christ followers manifest that kind of gratitude to and trust in God. 

That reading is consistent with other scripture and reflected in liturgy. Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:15; and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 each tell us to constantly thank God for the good things he does for us. Lutheran liturgy recognizes that it “is right to give [God] thanks and praise” and that such gratitude is “indeed right and salutary[.]” Lutheran Book of Worship, pp. 68, 88, 109.   As our  Catholic friends put it, “[i]t is truly right and just, our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ” (emphasis added).

So how do we do that?

One way is to end each day with a review of all the good things God did for you that day. Consider the prayers He answered and how He did that. Think about what went well and God’s role in those things, even if you didn’t pray about them. Were there any things or interactions that struck you as “God things”?  Think about the good things that you would otherwise take for granted: good health, provision, safety.  Write them down and thank God for them. If you are too tired to do that at the end of the day, do it first thing the next morning. Regardless of when you do it, that discipline will help you realize how faithful God is, focus your thanksgiving, and give you peace to face whatever is coming.  It will  make you “a kind of first fruits.”

PRAYER

Father, thank you for lovingly extending yourself to us. Jesus, thank you for going through all you went through on our behalf. Holy Spirit, thank you for persistently and selflessly working in, among, and through us.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TODD MARTI

I have been connected to UALC since 2000 in various small groups and as a co-manager of the UALC Community Garden. I’m married to Kelly Marti, and the proud father of Sarah Marti. I am happy to be writing these devotions.