Listening and Doing (James 1:22-25)

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

In this passage, James insists once again on the importance of listening but specifies that truly listening means putting what you hear into effect. Christians must actively follow the words of Jesus. Verse 22, in effect, summarizes the whole letter. The extent of our belief is shown by how much we put our faith into action. We change constantly during our lives but Christians should develop and change to become more like Christ, trying to behave as he did.

In the next verses, James gives an image to illustrate what he means. When we look in a mirror we see ourselves, but Christians should also see Jesus for we should always seek to imitate him. If we look in that mirror and see him but then forget what he looks like (and thus what we should look like), we’re not behaving in a very Christian way. Or, to put it another way, when we look in this mirror, we see how far we fall short of the ideal Jesus sets for us. When we’re getting ready to go out in the morning, we look in the mirror to improve our appearance, to make sure we look well-groomed. In the same way, the mirror Christ provides for us, should show us our failings and we should seek to remedy them.

In verse 25, James continues the image of the mirror but this time we see the perfect law of freedom. By this, James means Jesus’ teaching which will free us from the sin and the evil of the world. This law is perfect because it makes us whole and enables us to become God’s people. For James, the Torah is the perfect law but the gospel gives us a greater law, that of liberty. It frees us to live in a true relationship with God and each other. James concludes here by writing that, by following the law Jesus has given us, we will be blessed.