Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (ESV)

Right off, this verse can rub people the wrong way. “Religion” can conjure feelings of control, rules, or even being used. I most definitely ran away from what I thought was “religion” when I was younger.

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The Bible says in John 7:1-4 that even Jesus’s brothers mocked him, including his brother James. Today’s text was written by a guy who was once turned-off by what Jesus was saying. Can anyone relate?

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Moving from complete unbelief to writing a letter that became part of the Bible, James went through it all. So, let's break this one down a bit. First off, religion is not a set of rules and regulations that we must consistently watch out for, lest we cross some invisible line that would elicit God’s anger. This is a skewed view of the Word. Instead, religion is an outward display of something that is inwardly true. When we enter a relationship with our Savior, he changes our hearts and souls. That change is reflected in how we see the world, and that is religion.

So what does actual religion look like?  James first speaks of two populations who were at risk of being preyed on by the powerful: orphans and widows. These people were often seen as a burden to whoever was their caretaker, especially widows, who were often looked down on and sued by people who had issues with their late husbands.  

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Then, James describes true religion as “keep[ing] oneself unstained from the world” ––keeping some distance between us and the things that poison our hearts.  

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It is super easy for me to run right to the literal with this verse, thinking, Ok, I need to volunteer at an orphanage and find a little old widow to help take care of her house…Oh, and I can’t hang out with my unchurched friends because they tell dirty jokes and have foul language.  

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However, if we take a look at how Jesus lives, we see something a bit different. We read about Jesus hanging out with drunks, thieves and prostitutes. So, staying away from people who are foul-mouthed and sinners loses a bit of steam if we are called to be like Jesus—everyone needs interaction with Christ. Instead, James warns us to be aware of the poisons we knowingly consume, the sins that drag us down and keep us from really stepping into a relationship with Jesus.

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So where do we go with all of this? We can apply James’ call to care for orphans and widows to the vulnerable in our lives today. If orphans and widows were deemed second-class citizens and burdensome, it would have been very uncomfortable for people in James’ day to step into that demographic. I think the two key things are to take a step and to grow. Christ wants us to take a step forward toward a demographic that is vulnerable and knows that growing in this area is never comfortable.

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James reveals that an inward faith requires outward movement toward things that may be uncomfortable. Let’s face it, we probably all know what an uncomfortable next step would be for us as we aim to bring more of heaven down to Earth. Here's where we start: rooting out the sins that eat at us like poison and taking that step into the discomfort. Man, that is so much easier said than done, but that kind of religion is so very worth the effort.  

Jesus, you are our ultimate example. You entered our mess and are continuing to sanctify us. Jesus, I pray we can continue to step toward this example as we go out into the world and interact with the people in our lives. Jesus, help us to show you in everything we do. Amen.