Wednesday Preverb – 18September2024 – James 3:13-4:8

I imagine that we have all witnessed the wonder, honesty, and even humor in kids as they grow and develop.

When my son Glenn was three years old, he somehow got away from the family and initially, it caused great fright and concern, but within moments we found him nestled in a corner of the lady’s cosmetic section and he was painting his face with bright red lipstick.  When my mother heard this story, she reminded me that when I was the same age, she temporarily lost me in the grocery store.  She discovered me in the canned vegetable aisle, and I was fixated on a can of Green Giant corn and I was mimicking the giant by repeating the advertisement jingle, “HO, HO, HO Green Giant.”  What can I say?

Kids have a way of making every room — pretty much the whole world — their own.

Have you ever tried to “kind of” welcome a child?  There are no half-measures when it comes to kids.  Once they arrive on the scene, they own it.  The whole dynamic changes.  Adults might slip in and out of the room, but kids never do.

We see one of Jesus’ interactions with children in Mark 9.  The disciples have just finished arguing about who is the greatest, and Jesus gives them an unlikely object lesson:

And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”   

Mark 9:35-37 (ESV)

In the honor/shame culture of the ancient world, hosting a respectful person at your home brought you honor, which brought status and connections.  Children weren’t worth much on the honor spectrum.  Better to spend your energy and time on having a great rabbi like Jesus or a rich man to your house.

And here, right in the middle of an argument about honor, Jesus plops a child down in front of them.  Runny nose, sticky fingers, constant demands — a child.  And he says when you welcome this person — this person who is the least of these, whose only gift is their need — then you welcome him.

When you welcome the inconsequential that’s when you meet Jesus.

Because the presence of Christ can be a bit like that child — occasionally overturning tables, always full of wonder and forgiveness.  Jesus changes the dynamic.  His values change the gravity.  This is what it means to welcome Jesus.  He doesn’t play by our rules, he doesn’t follow our plan, but to welcome him is to welcome life.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of that Life.

James 3:13 – 4:1-3,7-8    Who is wise and knowledgeable among you?  Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.  ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth.  ¹⁵ This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.  ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.  ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.  ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness^[e] is sown in peace by those who make peace.   

4  Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from?  Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?  ² You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet^[f] something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have because you do not ask.  ³ You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures . . . ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 3:13 – 4:8

Who is wise and knowledgeable among you?  Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 

• The demonstration of a living faith in the presence of wisdom.
• Wisdom shows us how to do good works
• Who is wise and understanding among you? At the beginning of James 3, the author addressed those who were teachers or wanted to be teachers among Christians.  There he told such teachers how they should talk; here he speaks about how they should live.
• The word sophos (‘wise’) was the technical term among the Jews for the teacher, the scribe, the rabbi. It appears that the author is still speaking to those who would be teachers (cf. James 3:1); here it is not what they say that he is concerned with, but rather how they live.” (Burdick)
• Wisdom is not mere head knowledge. Real wisdom and understanding will show in our lives, by our good conduct.
• Here James told us how to judge if a person really is wise and understanding.  If a person considers himself to be wise or understanding, it is fair to expect that this invisible inner quality (wisdom) would show itself in regular life.  
• True wisdom is also evident by its meek manner. Those who do their good works in a way designed to bring attention to themselves show they lack true wisdom.
• i. On meekness: “Prautes is gentleness, but not a passive gentleness growing out of weakness or resignation. It is an active attitude of deliberate acceptance.” (Burdick).

¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth. 

¹⁵ This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.  ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.  ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 

• The character of earthly wisdom.
  • Bitter envy and self-seeking: These are the opposite of the meekness of wisdom mentioned in James 3:13. These words actually refer to someone who has a critical, contentious, fight-provoking manner.
  • “It is out of keeping with the temper of bitter jealousy and rivalry (i.e. party-spirit, selfish ambition, factiousness). Do not pride yourselves on that, on the intensity and harsh zeal which lead to such unscrupulous partisanship, which are sometimes justified as loyalty to the truth.” (Moffatt)
  • “Religious people may be extremely provoking, and defeat their own ends by overbearing methods; right views and sound counsels may lose their effect if they are expressed by men who are self-seeking partisans or unscrupulous controversialists.” (Moffatt)
  • Do not boast and lie against the truth: Anyone who shows bitter envy and self-seeking should not deceive anyone – especially themselves – about how wise they are. They show a wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Their wisdom is more characteristic of the world, the flesh, and the devil than of God.
  • “This wisdom” that James referred to was not really wisdom at all. “It is the wisdom claimed by the would-be teachers of James 3:14 whose lives contradict their claims. Such ‘wisdom’ evaluates everything by worldly standards and makes personal gain life’s highest goal.” (Burdick)
  • Earthly, sensual, demonic: Adam Clarke defined each term:
    •   Earthly: “Having this life only in view.”
    •   Sensual: “Animal- having for its object the gratification of the passions and animal propensities.”
    •   Demonic: “Demoniacal- inspired by demons, and maintained in the soul by their indwelling influence.”
  • Confusion and every evil thing: This is the fruit of human, earthly wisdom. The wisdom of the world, the flesh, and the devil may be able to accomplish things, but always with the ultimate fruit of confusion and every evil thing.

• The character of heavenly wisdom.
  • the wisdom that is from above — God’s wisdom — also has fruit.  (See James 3:13)
  • First pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy: The character of this wisdom is wonderful. It is full of love and a giving heart, consistent with the holiness of God.
    •   pure: “The reference is not to sexual purity but to the absence of any sinful attitude or motive.” (Burdick)
    •   peaceable: “In the LXX it is used mostly of God’s disposition as a King.  He is gentle and kind, although in reality he has every reason to be stern and punitive toward men in their sin.” (Burdick)
    •   gentle: “The man who is epieikes is the man who knows when it is actually wrong to apply the strict letter of the law.  He knows how to forgive when strict justice gives him a perfect right to condemn … It is the ability to extend to others the kindly consideration we would wish to receive ourselves.” (Barclay)
    •   willing to yield: “Not stubborn nor obstinate … conciliatory … the opposite of stiff and unbending.”   According to William Barclay: “Eupeithes can mean easy to persuade, not in the sense of being pliable and weak, but in the sense of not being stubborn and of being willing to listen to reason and to appeal … true wisdom is not rigid but is willing to listen and skilled in knowing when wisely to yield.”
    •   full of mercy: It does not judge others strictly on the basis of the law, but will extend a generous hand full of mercy.  This wisdom knows that the same measure of mercy we grant to others is the same measure God will use with us (Matthew 7:2).
    •   full of… good fruits: This wisdom can be seen by the fruit it produces. It isn’t just the inner power to think and talk about things the right way; it is full of… good fruits.
    •   without partiality: “Without partiality; or, without judging, i.e. either a curious inquiring into the faults of others, to find matter for censures.” (Poole)
    •   without hypocrisy: “Without pretending to be what it is not; acting always in its own character; never working under a mask. Seeking nothing but God’s glory, and using no other means to attain it than those of his own prescribing.” (Clarke)

¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness^[e] is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

• the fruit of righteousness  is like a seed that will bear fruit as it is sown by those who make peace …
  • either the fruit we bring forth … the fruit that is righteousness itself, Luke 3:8, 9; Romans 6:22; Philippians 1:11;
  • or the fruit we reap … the fruit that is the product of righteousness (as in eternal life).
• James’s concept of wisdom is the understanding and attitude that result in godliness.

4  Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from?  Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you?  ² You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder.  And you covet^[f] something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts.  You do not have because you do not ask.  ³ You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.   

⁴ Adulterers!^[g] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  ⁵ Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks to no purpose?  Does the spirit that God caused to dwell^[h] in us desire envy?  ⁶ But God gives all the more grace; therefore it says,  

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  

But gives grace to the humble: It isn’t as if our humility earns the grace of God.  Humility merely puts us in a position to receive the gift He freely gives.