One of the foundational principles of Martin Luther who inspired the Protestant reformation was: faith alone saves. However, in the epistle of James we read: Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Martin Luther dismissed this epistle because it ran contrary to the emphasis on faith alone. However, another of his foundational principles was: scripture alone. Apparently, for Luther, there were some scriptures that he didn’t feel the need to heed. I think that St. James would respond to that by saying, if it makes you uncomfortable that probably is a sign that you should pay attention to it. Certainly the scriptures that make me uncomfortable (forgive 70 times seven, stop worrying, stop judging, etc.) challenge my growth in the spiritual life.
