Although Martin Luther saw the letter of James as merely an “epistle of straw”—something lightweight and easy to dismiss—it stands to this day as one of the most practical and penetrating books in the Bible. Don’t be fooled by its size. It may be small, but it’s strong. It refuses to let the reader hide behind the walls of theological theory or intellectual faith. True faith produces authenticity. “No authenticity…no faith”—that’s James’s conclusion on the matter. James’s letter may make us squirm, but it also makes us tear down our facades.