My bother, Seth and I are very different people. He is more reserved and I am obviously more outgoing. But we also have many similarities. We both are very passionate about the things we love. We both like to work outside in our yards. We both have a desire to be servants of God and work hard at being good husbands and fathers. We have the same basic world view. We both are planted firmly in the foundational principles of Christianity. Our parents and family get the credit for raising us this way and God gets the glory.
Most biblical scholars believe that Jesus and James (the one that wrote the book) were brothers. I am sure they had their own personality differences but I am sure that they had their similarities, too. They were brothers and they probably not only looked alike but they certainly had similar world views. This was not always the case. John writes in his gospel account that “not even His brothers were believing in Him” (John 7:5). Eventually, James converts and becomes a strong leader in the 1st century church. It was after the resurrection of Jesus that James joined the disciples and was a believer in Jesus (Acts 1:14). It was probably the special appearance of his resurrected brother that played a major part in his change of heart (1 Corinthians 15:7).
Later in life, (about 30 years later) James wrote the epistle of James and his humility is evident by the way that described himself: “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). James identifies himself as a “servant” of Jesus more than just a close relative.
It is in the epistle of James that we see the similarities especially when we compare the sermon on the mount to the letter as a whole. Here are a few quick comparative passages to help us see these two brothers and the similarities they eventually had:
There are certainly several more similarities of James and the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. This list is not exhaustive but helps us to see the point being made. These brothers had the same view of life and service to God. I just think that is neat and something for us to consider when we study the sermon on the mount. Enjoy your day!
~ Alexander