James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Confession and sins are not two words most of us want to see put together. Maybe it’s because of the discomfort it unearths within us, or the thoughts and feelings it tends to trigger. Feelings such as shame, and guilt, or thoughts such as failure and disappointment. Naturally, the last thing we want to do is expose what we’d much rather keep inside - hidden. Hidden from prying eyes, opinionated mouths and judgmental minds, or at least so we think there will be. Why would anyone want someone, other than themselves, to see their mess, shortfalls and weaknesses. Yet James, the author of this letter, the half brother to Jesus and a renowned religious leader, who held a prominent seat within the Jerusalem council is writing to tell us to do just that - confess our sins aloud to one another. It can be easy to think that James would never have struggled with such a command, surely he’d have nothing that caused him to feel ashamed of, or disappointed with. He’s far too saintly for that! Yet though a sibling to Christ, at one point he was also a former critic and unbeliever.
And whilst the bible doesn’t delve into much detail about their relationship, I think it would be fair to say it was very estranged and lacked love. You would expect between siblings that there must exist a deep sense of love and loyalty, and yet, during Jesus’s toughest trial and greatest hardship James was unaccounted for. And as far as we are aware, absent at the time of the crucifixion. Jesus ought to have been able to turn to his brother to entrust their mother, Mary to, after his departure, but instead he turned to John and her entrusted to his disciple. To have been so unmoved, as to not show up for your brother’s public execution, likely filled James with a painful dose of regret. His mistreatment of Jesus was something I’m sure he’d have preferred to have remained private. Yet, his story is still written for us all to see, learn from and examine.
Reflection
The question is why? Why throughout scripture are we encouraged to bring things into the light.
Firstly, I think it’s because sin thrives in the dark. The dark provides the perfect environment for our sin cycles to continue and remain unchecked and unbroken. It’s an environment that’s devoid of light because there’s no accountability or the correction of a loving voice to help restore and build us back up (Gal 6:1).
Secondly, it's a breeding ground for condemnation because it’s a place where our minds can ruminate and replay the guilt of our mistakes. But in the light and in the open, sin loses power. Does that mean we will no longer struggle with sin, no. As long as we remain in this body of flesh we will be at war with sin. However, there is a promising aspect to this too; when we remain visible, not shrinking back because of fear or shame, being accountable and holding others to account, it does increase our resolve, strengthen our convictions, builds our faith and liberates our conscience. When we realise that we are not defined by sin but by the testimony of Jesus, we no longer have to feel afraid or ashamed; instead we can feel emboldened by the Spirit to repent to obtain mercy, seek forgiveness and to keep walking.
The scripture does not only direct us to confess to one another, but to also pray for another that we may be healed. So confession and repentance is not just a private act, it’s a communal one. Scripture is always trying to get us to move from an individualistic mindset to a shared and corporate one. To see ourselves as one body, and our walk as something more than just fulfilling our needs. It’s reminding us that we need each other and we are co-dependent on one another. Sin oftentimes, is not committed against our own selves but another party. So even from a practical standpoint, by confessing our sins to one another, especially those we may have or are sinning against, we are preventing opportunities for discord or divisions to further arise that could break up fellowships.
Lastly, when we choose to apply and enact the Word we allow room for God to restore and to heal. Once we confess, it says we pray. Prayer is a vehicle for not only restoring us, restoring relationships, restoring others and restoring community, but bringing healing. Healing both of the heart, mind, emotions and body. So why wait, let’s confess, let's pray and let's heal!