Contemplative Bible Reading

James 5:19-20 (New Living Translation)

19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

One way that I consider the Christian life is a walk. Jesus is walking along a faint path. There are many faint paths leading all sorts of places. If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I walk after him along the path He is on. Sometimes I walk closer to Jesus and sometimes I lose sight of Him a bit and don’t walk as close. I guess idea goes back to the story “Pilgrim’s Progress” or something I heard as a child.

These verses fit with the idea of walking after Jesus. Someone wanders, i.e., the go on another path for a while. They have wandered off the path Jesus is walking; they have wandered from the truth. Someone should go find them and bring them back to the path of Jesus.

This is difficult as the person simply may not want to come back the path of Jesus.

This can be dangerous as my chasing after the wander may lead me so far from the path of Jesus that I cannot find my way back to Him. Consider, however, the reward—saving the person from death. Worth the risk? Yes. So why don’t I do this more often? God, please help me in my unbelief.