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A LETTER FROM JAMES
Chapter 3 – Part 2

13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13 – NLT)

As he has before, James appears to change gears again and goes back to his discussion on wisdom and ethical issues. It may well be that he still has in mind the characteristics needed for teachers, however, he does cover a number of personal traits crucial in the life of the Christian. 

Wisdom and understanding rate high on the necessary characteristics needed for personal growth in the lives of these new Christians; as it is today in contemporary Christianity. By using the preposition if, James is suggesting that the acquisition of wisdom is something we can elect to attain, or bypass. The reality is that there are those who naturally have a gift of wisdom. However, we can all acquire a degree of it by observation and introspection. It is an attribute all Christians should strive to acquire. 

The natural outcome of wisdom is to gain understanding and insight, and the natural outcome of understanding and insight, in the Christian realm, is humbly living an honorable life, [and] doing good works. Every authentic citizen of the kingdom of God needs to be ethical and conscientious in daily living, for there are those who will be either be attracted to, or repelled from Christianity, by the lives of those who claim to be Christians.  However, Christianity does not need pretenders who project an unauthentic image. There is a danger in our desire to live an honourable life that we can resort to the projection of an image that is not real or authentic, and we can become more concerned with our image than with our behaviour of the real person. That sort of image will quickly be unmasked.

One of the great detractors within Christianity is parading good deeds and one of James’ attributes of authentic Christianity was good deeds, motivated by faith from a humble heart. His early Christians who understood God’s ways were to endeavour to live honourable lives and doing good would be part of that life. No doubt he clearly recalled the teaching of Jesus on this matter regarding the humility and anonymity involved in helping others. Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 -  NLT)    

14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. (James 3:14-16 – NLT)

James now draws a contrast with the previous verse (13) and again the preposition if suggests there is a degree of choice in the matters he is about to discuss. The Bible is quite clear: jealousy is wrong and quite contrary to good relationships, particularly Christian relationships. It’s effects are poisonous, not only on the one who is jealous, but also to the one to whom the jealousy is directed. The writer of Proverbs makes good common sense and insight when he says:  A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. (Proverbs 14:30 - NLT) Peter in his letter makes no bones as to how evil it is: So get rid of all evil behaviour. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. (1 Peter 2:1 - NLT)

However, James gets down to a more serious side of the issue for he links jealousy with bitterness. Now we have a person with serious issues; not only are they jealous, but they have allowed themselves to contract the disease of bitterness which is decidedly harder to cure. New Testament writers saw bitterness as a serious and difficult condition to manage, with the writer of Hebrews labelling it poisonous and corrupting: Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. (Hebrews 12:15 NLT).  Paul left his readers in Ephesus in no doubt that it was one character flaw that the Christians in the early church could not tolerate, and needed to be exterminated: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behaviour. (Ephesians 4:31 - NLT)Not only is James tackling the green-eyed monster of jealousy, but a double-barrelled problem that included bitterness.

Next in the litany, James addresses the very human weakness of selfish ambition or self-seeking, a sin that has become, even within the church, an epidemic in the 21st century with its me-first philosophy. It describes a person who is so self-absorbed that they have little time or space in their lives for others. Self-centred desire dominates their lives and they are not backward in looking after no1 at the expense of others. Once again the bible is quite clear in relation to this very human attitude. When Paul wrote the love chapter he pointed out that self-seeking was the very antithesis to love (1 Corinthians 13:5). In Romans he goes even further to suggest God’s response to it will be wrath and anger: But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans 2:8 - NIV)

We’ve all run into them, the self-centred person who loves nothing more than talking about themselves and boasting about their achievements. The problem here being that, more often than not, exaggeration and embellishment play a major part in their stories and the reality is that they are essentially insecure individuals and resort to lies to cover up the truth.

The litany of character flaws that James has listed are sins that are not acceptable within the kingdom of God, and are the very opposite to the character of God. They are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic and wherever humanity practices and tolerates such behaviour you will find disorder and evil of every kind. In essence, these flaws belong to those who rely on their own wisdom and judgement and refuse to seek the wisdom of God for the lifestyle.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favouritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:17-18 – NLT)

Here is the good news for the citizen of the kingdom of God; his wisdom is not only readily available to those humble enough to ask, it is also pure white, free from any corruption or duplicity, and totally reliable. It is the wisdom of peace, gentleness and consideration for others. It outcome will always be mercy, good works, sincerity and a complete absence of discrimination. Those who ask for and embrace God’s wisdom are peacemakers whose lives will exhibit good things.


Video meditation; Thou art the way
https://youtu.be/jzwAZ1DT184




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