1. How would you describe Santiago's family?
Santiago, Jesus' brother, grew up in a spiritually strong family. His parents, Joseph and Mary, loved Jehovah very much and did their best to serve him. Santiago had an additional blessing: his older brother would become the promised Messiah. What a great privilege Santiago had to be part of that family!
2. What reasons did Santiago have to admire his older brother?
James had many reasons to admire his older brother (Matt. 13:55). For example, Jesus knew the Scriptures so well that, at just 12 years old, he amazed the highly educated elders of Jerusalem (Luke 2:46, 47). Also, it is possible that James worked as a carpenter with Jesus. If that was the case, surely he got to know his brother very well. Nathan Knorr used to say, "When you work with a person, you learn a lot about them." James may also have realized that “Jesus continued to grow, becoming wise, and gaining the approval of God and people” (Luke 2:52). One would expect that James would have been one of the first disciples of Jesus, but that is not what happened.
3. How did James react when Jesus began his ministry?
During Jesus' ministry on earth, James did not become one of his disciples (John 7:3-5). In fact, it is possible that James was one of the relatives of Jesus who said: “he has gone mad” (Mark 3:21). And nothing indicates that James was with his mother Mary when Jesus was executed on the torture stake (John 19: 25-27).
ILLUSTRATION:
As a child, James watches as Joseph teaches Jesus the carpenter's trade.
As they grew up together, Santiago got to know his older brother Jesús very well. (See paragraph 2).
4. What two things will we discuss?
Later, James put his faith in Jesus and became a respected Christian in the congregation. In this article, we'll look at two things we learn from James' example: 1) Why should we be humble? and 2) how can we be good teachers?
LET'S BE HUMBLE LIKE SANTIAGO
5. How did James react when Jesus appeared to him after resurrecting?
When did James become a loyal disciple of Jesus? After Jesus was resurrected, “he appeared to James, then to all the apostles” (1 Cor. 15:7). This encounter with Jesus marked a before and after in the life of Santiago. He was present when the apostles were gathered in an upstairs room in Jerusalem waiting to receive the promised holy spirit (Acts 1:13, 14). Later, he had the joy of being part of the governing body of the first century (Acts 15:6, 13-22; Gal. 2:9). And, before the year 62, he wrote by inspiration a letter addressed to anointed Christians. That card benefits us today, whether we hope to live in heaven or on earth (Jas. 1:1). According to the first-century historian Josephus, James was executed by order of the Jewish high priest Anan. He remained faithful to Jehovah until he ended his life on earth.
6. What difference was there between James and the religious leaders of his time?
Santiago was humble. Let's see the difference between the reaction that Santiago had over time and that of many of the religious leaders. When he was confronted with the undeniable proof that Jesus was the Son of God, he humbly accepted it. But the chief priests of Jerusalem did not react the same way. For example, they could not deny that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. However, instead of acknowledging that Jesus was Jehovah's representative, they attempted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:9-11). Later, when Jesus was resurrected, they tried to keep the people from finding out (Matt. 28:11-15). The pride of these religious leaders led them to reject the Messiah.
7. Why should we avoid pride?
Lesson: Let us avoid pride and let Jehovah teach us. Just as illness can harden the arteries of the heart and make it stop working properly, pride can harden our figurative hearts and make it difficult for us to obey Jehovah. The Pharisees allowed his heart to become so hard that they refused to acknowledge the clear evidence that Jesus was the Son of God and had his spirit.(John 12:37-40). Such a bad attitude caused them to lose the opportunity to live forever (Matt. 23:13, 33). How important it is that we continue to allow God's Word and His Spirit to shape our personality and influence our thoughts and decisions (Jas. 3:17). Because James was humble, he let Jehovah teach him. And, as we will see below, it was thanks to his humility that he became a good teacher.
ILLUSTRATION:
Santiago working as a carpenter while the risen Jesus speaks with him.
James was humble when Jesus appeared to him and became a faithful disciple of Christ. (See paragraphs 5 to 7).
LET'S BE GOOD TEACHERS LIKE SANTIAGO
8. What will help us to be good teachers?
Santiago did not have a great academic training. To the religious leaders of his day, he was, like Peter and John, a common man "and little educated" (Acts 4:13). But he became a good teacher, as we see when reading the book that bears his name. Like Santiago, we may have little academic training. Still, with the help of Jehovah's spirit and the training provided by his organization, we can also become good teachers. Let's look at the example of James and see what lessons we can learn.
9. How would you describe Santiago's way of teaching?
Santiago did not use difficult words or complicated reasoning. As a result, people knew what to do and how to do it. Take, for example, the simple way he taught that Christians should be willing to suffer injustice without holding a grudge. He wrote: “We consider happy those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and you have seen what Jehovah ultimately did for him, so you know that Jehovah is very loving and merciful.”—Jas. 5:11. Notice that James used the Word of God as his teaching authority. He used it to help people see that Jehovah always rewards those who are loyal to him like Job. James taught that lesson using simple words and arguments. In this way, he did not focus on himself, but on Jehovah.
10. What is one way to imitate James when we teach?
Lesson: Let's teach simply and based on the Word of God. Our goal should not be to show people how much we know, but to show them how much Jehovah knows and how much he cares about them (Rom. 11:33). We can achieve that goal if we always base ourselves on the Bible. For example, instead of telling our students what we would do if we were in their shoes, we should help them reason from Bible examples and see how Jehovah thinks and feels. Then, what will motivate them to apply what they learn will be the desire to please Jehovah and not us.
11. What problems did some Christians have, and what advice did James give them? (Jas. 5:13-15).
Santiago was realistic. In his letter we noted that he was aware of the problems that his brothers were going through and gave them clear instructions on what they had to do. For example, some Christians were slow to put advice into practice (Jas. 1:22). Others showed favoritism to the rich (Jas. 2:1-3). And others found it very difficult to control their tongue (Jas. 3:8-10). These Christians had serious problems, but James did not write them off. He kindly but frankly counseled them and encouraged those who were spiritually weak to seek help from the elders (read James 5:13-15).
12. ¿Cómo podemos ser positivos cuando ayudamos a un estudiante?
Lesson: Let's see others realistically, but be positive. Many students find it difficult to put into practice the advice of the Bible (Jas. 4:1-4). It may take some time for them to eliminate negative aspects of their personality and replace them with Christian qualities. Like Santiago, we must have the courage to tell a student what he needs to improve on. But at the same time let's be positive; let us trust that Jehovah will attract the humble and give them the strength to make changes in their lives (Jas. 4:10).
13. What did James recognize? (Jas. 3:2; note).
Santiago maintained a correct point of view about himself. He did not think that because he was Jesus' brother or because of his service responsibilities he was special or more important than other Christians. He addressed them as “my dear brothers” (Jas. 1:16, 19; 2:5). He didn't try to look perfect either. Rather, he included himself when he said, “We all make mistakes many times” (read James 3:2 and footnote).
14. Why must we be willing to admit our mistakes?
Lesson: Let us remember that we are all sinners. We should not think that, in some sense, we are superior to those we teach. Why not? If we give a student the impression that we are never wrong, he may think that he will never measure up to what God expects. But when we honestly acknowledge that we have sometimes struggled to apply Bible principles and tell the student how Jehovah has helped us make changes in our lives, we help him see that he too can serve him.
15. What were the examples James used like? (Jas. 3:2-6, 10-12).
James used examples that touched the heart. No doubt he was helped by the holy spirit, but he probably also learned a lot about how to teach by studying the examples his older brother Jesus had used. The examples he used in his letter are simple and have a clear application (read James 3:2-6, 10-12).
16. Why should we use effective examples?
Lesson: Let's use effective examples. When we use appropriate examples, we help people visualize what they are hearing.Those pictures we paint in their minds will help them remember important truths from the Bible. Jesus was adept at using examples, and his brother James followed in his footsteps. Let's take a look at one of the examples he gave and see why it's so effective.
ILLUSTRATION:
Series of images: 1. Santiago looks at the flame of an oil lamp while writing a letter. 2. A first-century Christian reads James's letter to the brothers in his congregation. The house is illuminated by an oil lamp.
The examples James used were simple, clear, and effective. (See paragraphs 15 and 16). *
17. Why is the example recorded at James 1:22-25 so effective?
(Read James 1:22-25). The mirror example is effective for several reasons. James was clear about the lesson he wanted to teach: if we want to benefit from the Word of God, it is not enough to read it, we must put it into practice. Santiago chose an example that people could easily identify with: a man looking at himself in a mirror. What lesson did he wish to teach? It would be absurd for a person to look in a mirror, see something that needs to be corrected, and do nothing. Similarly, it would be absurd for us to read the Bible, see something we need to change in our personality, and do nothing.
18. What three things must we do when using an example?
When we use an example, we can imitate James by doing three things: 1) make sure the example fits the topic we are dealing with; 2) let's use an example that people can easily relate to, and 3) make the lesson clear. If we find it difficult to think of suitable examples, let us consult the Watch Tower Publications Index. Under the entry “Examples” we will find many comparisons that we can use. But let's remember that examples are like a microphone: they serve to make one idea stand out above the rest. So let's make sure we use examples only for the main points we want to teach. Of course, the most important reason we have for improving as teachers is not to draw attention to ourselves, but to help as many people as possible become part of Jehovah's happy family.
19. How do we show that we love our spiritual family?
It is true that we have not had the privilege of growing up next to a perfect older brother, but we have the honor of serving Jehovah together with a great family of spiritual brothers. We can show them our love by spending time with them, learning from them, and loyally serving alongside them in the preaching and teaching work. When we strive to imitate the example of James in how we look, act, and teach, we honor Jehovah and help sincere people draw closer to our loving heavenly Father.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why should we be humble?
How important it is that we continue to allow God's Word and his spirit to shape our personality and influence our thoughts and decisions. Because James was humble, he let Jehovah teach him.
Why should we teach simply?
Let us teach in a simple way and base ourselves on the Word of God. Our goal should not be to show people how much we know, but to show them how much Jehovah knows and how much he cares about them.
Why should we use effective examples?
When we use appropriate examples, we help people visualize what they are hearing. Those pictures we paint in their minds will help them remember important truths from the Bible.
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