Posts
9. James 4:11 – 5:12
A fortnight ago, I was talking about how we undergo two types of conversion: first, we are converted to Christ – we are made a new creation and enter into life everlasting, as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord; and, second, we experience a process of ongoing conversion, as – by the grace of God, our heavenly Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit – we are transformed into the likeness of Christ … a process which will last our lifetimes.
At the beginning of chapter 4, James berates his readers for holding on to many of the behaviours and attitudes they displayed before they became Christians and urges them to repent and to be open to God’s transforming power. In this second half of chapter 4 and into chapter 5, he warns them against some of the other things that may have been carried over from their worldly existence into their Christian lives.
First of all, he speaks out against …
Judgmentalism (4:11-12)
The Good News Bible has the beginning of verse 11 like this: “Do not criticise one another, my friends.” The New International version has: “Brothers, do not slander one another.” In this instance, I prefer the New Living Translation which says: “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.” And the reason I prefer it is that “speaking evil against each other” encompasses several different sins of the tongue: criticism of others; slanderous talk; and even gossip. These three are heavy duty pieces of the devil’s armoury, because each of them sows discord and causes division. How sad, then, that they are so often used within a fellowship of Christians; how tragic that, through them, people are often lost to the local church and sometimes even to Christ. During the Second World War, there was the warning that “Careless talk costs lives”; in this different context – the Church – the same words ring sadly true.
There should be no place within the local fellowship for such talk and yet there is probably none of us who is lily-white in this respect, so let us not pretend otherwise. No, let us rather acknowledge our shortcoming and pray to God for the strength to hold our tongues when we are tempted to speak a harsh word against someone and to focus more on one another’s strengths than on our weaknesses. If we fail to do so, then we are placing ourselves in opposition to God and inviting His judgment upon us.
In Luke’s Gospel, we read that Jesus told the crowd, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Harsh words are not only wounding of others, but also have consequences for the speaker – as we criticise, as we slander, as we gossip, our own judgmentalism is turned around upon us.
James puts it in another way: he writes, “If you criticise or judge another Christian, you criticise and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.” The injunction against slander and other sins of the tongue goes way back in the Jewish writings – in Leviticus 19, verses 16 and 17, the Lord says to the Israelites through Moses: “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. … Do not hate your brother in your heart.” And in Psalm 50, God says of the wicked: “You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.” The one who criticises or slanders another is not only judging another human being, but also judging God’s Law to be inconsequential and that really is a foolish thing to do.
So, my friends, let us curb the wicked side of our tongues – there is no place in this church for malicious criticism, gossip, or slander and it must not be tolerated.
A second vice that James speaks out against here is …
Arrogance (4:13-17)
Or, maybe it’s complacency? However we might label it, it is about taking things for granted and not acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all things. Again, we probably all say things like “Next year, we’re going on holiday to …”; or, “When we retire, we’ll do this, that or the other.” Now, of course, it isn’t wrong to plan ahead, or to look forward to something in the future, as long as we recognise that it isn’t all down to us, that we are in God’s hands, not our own.
James says, “What you ought to say is this: “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Were we all to do that, we would be reminding ourselves of God’s sovereignty and impressing the notion upon other people.
The Gospel story that comes to mind is the one that Jesus told about the rich man who enjoyed a bumper crop and said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.’”
The man was boasting in his blest situation, he didn’t have a word of thanks for God, and had no thought for the good he could do for others, little knowing that he would not have the opportunity to enjoy his prosperity.
It isn’t wrong to make money, it isn’t wrong to make plans, it isn’t wrong to have hopes and dreams, but it is sinful to leave God out of it all, to act as though He has nothing to do with it all. Rather, we must give thanks to God in all things, we must listen for His voice and ask for His guidance in our ideas and schemes – ultimately, we must seek to be a part of His plans, not expect Him to fit in with ours.
In the third section of this morning’s passage, James sounds off against …
Self-indulgence (5:1-6)
In chapter 5, verses 1-6, James seems to go into prophetic mode, condemning the rich for their obsessive selfishness and their unjust behaviour towards those who are dependent upon them. Although it is unlikely that James was aiming this rant at wealthy believers, I think it is still particularly relevant for Christians to consider, because, as Mark Twain once observed, usually the last thing to be converted in a Christian is his wallet!
It often seems that, when we become a disciple of the Lord, we immediately see the need for change in our behaviour patterns, but fail to recognise a need to reassess what we do with our money. Being rich is not, in itself, sinful – after all, comparatively speaking, probably all of us here this morning would be counted amongst the top 5% richest people in the world – just the fact that we have a roof over our heads, enough food in our refrigerators and clean water flowing from our taps puts us in that bracket. No, being rich is not the issue, it is how we handle our wealth that is key.
Basically, it boils down to what Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” When our own comfort, our own luxury, becomes more important to us than God, becomes more important to us than the welfare of others, that is when we find ourselves in the service of Money, rather than in His service. The fact is that our conversion must include how we use the resources that God provides and how we treat other people.
But, as I have said, I don’t think that James is directly addressing Christians here, so I’ll move on to the fourth part of the passage, a message of encouragement which is definitely intended for his Christian brothers and sisters.
Encouragement (5:7-12)
In verses 7 to 12, James urges the Christians hearing his words to remain patient in the face of trials, in the certain hope of the Lord’s return. Those who grumble that Christ is too slow in returning should remember how long a farmer has to wait to harvest his crop – from sowing to reaping he must go through the seasons of the year.
Maybe we too are impatient for the Lord’s return, maybe we too are losing hope as we see what is happening in the world around us, maybe we too feel under threat within our society; yet we too need to demonstrate the same patient endurance that James advocates.
James cites the prophets as inspiration because they fearlessly did God’s will and brought God’s word to the nation, in spite of the cruel way in which they were often treated. They persevered, even when they knew they themselves would not be alive to see Israel’s deliverance – they had a certain hope in God and that confidence carried them through all their trials and tribulations.
We must have that same strength of faith and resolve in these days.
Conclusion
Maybe at first sight, the Letter of James seems a bit of a hotch-potch of teaching, with little natural flow to it. But James’ over-arching theme is one of ‘readiness’: he wants you to examine yourselves and assess whether your faith is demonstrated in your deeds; control yourselves, especially your tongues; persevere through your present difficulties and endure the troubles ahead; FOR CHRIST IS COMING!!!
May we take James’ teaching seriously and not be unprepared. Amen.
A fortnight ago, I was talking about how we undergo two types of conversion: first, we are converted to Christ – we are made a new creation and enter into life everlasting, as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord; and, second, we experience a process of ongoing conversion, as – by the grace of God, our heavenly Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit – we are transformed into the likeness of Christ … a process which will last our lifetimes.
At the beginning of chapter 4, James berates his readers for holding on to many of the behaviours and attitudes they displayed before they became Christians and urges them to repent and to be open to God’s transforming power. In this second half of chapter 4 and into chapter 5, he warns them against some of the other things that may have been carried over from their worldly existence into their Christian lives.
First of all, he speaks out against …
Judgmentalism (4:11-12)
The Good News Bible has the beginning of verse 11 like this: “Do not criticise one another, my friends.” The New International version has: “Brothers, do not slander one another.” In this instance, I prefer the New Living Translation which says: “Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.” And the reason I prefer it is that “speaking evil against each other” encompasses several different sins of the tongue: criticism of others; slanderous talk; and even gossip. These three are heavy duty pieces of the devil’s armoury, because each of them sows discord and causes division. How sad, then, that they are so often used within a fellowship of Christians; how tragic that, through them, people are often lost to the local church and sometimes even to Christ. During the Second World War, there was the warning that “Careless talk costs lives”; in this different context – the Church – the same words ring sadly true.
There should be no place within the local fellowship for such talk and yet there is probably none of us who is lily-white in this respect, so let us not pretend otherwise. No, let us rather acknowledge our shortcoming and pray to God for the strength to hold our tongues when we are tempted to speak a harsh word against someone and to focus more on one another’s strengths than on our weaknesses. If we fail to do so, then we are placing ourselves in opposition to God and inviting His judgment upon us.
In Luke’s Gospel, we read that Jesus told the crowd, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.” Harsh words are not only wounding of others, but also have consequences for the speaker – as we criticise, as we slander, as we gossip, our own judgmentalism is turned around upon us.
James puts it in another way: he writes, “If you criticise or judge another Christian, you criticise and judge the Law. If you judge the Law, then you are no longer one who obeys the Law, but one who judges it.” The injunction against slander and other sins of the tongue goes way back in the Jewish writings – in Leviticus 19, verses 16 and 17, the Lord says to the Israelites through Moses: “Do not go about spreading slander among your people. … Do not hate your brother in your heart.” And in Psalm 50, God says of the wicked: “You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.” The one who criticises or slanders another is not only judging another human being, but also judging God’s Law to be inconsequential and that really is a foolish thing to do.
So, my friends, let us curb the wicked side of our tongues – there is no place in this church for malicious criticism, gossip, or slander and it must not be tolerated.
A second vice that James speaks out against here is …
Arrogance (4:13-17)
Or, maybe it’s complacency? However we might label it, it is about taking things for granted and not acknowledging God’s sovereignty in all things. Again, we probably all say things like “Next year, we’re going on holiday to …”; or, “When we retire, we’ll do this, that or the other.” Now, of course, it isn’t wrong to plan ahead, or to look forward to something in the future, as long as we recognise that it isn’t all down to us, that we are in God’s hands, not our own.
James says, “What you ought to say is this: “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Were we all to do that, we would be reminding ourselves of God’s sovereignty and impressing the notion upon other people.
The Gospel story that comes to mind is the one that Jesus told about the rich man who enjoyed a bumper crop and said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat drink and be merry.’”
The man was boasting in his blest situation, he didn’t have a word of thanks for God, and had no thought for the good he could do for others, little knowing that he would not have the opportunity to enjoy his prosperity.
It isn’t wrong to make money, it isn’t wrong to make plans, it isn’t wrong to have hopes and dreams, but it is sinful to leave God out of it all, to act as though He has nothing to do with it all. Rather, we must give thanks to God in all things, we must listen for His voice and ask for His guidance in our ideas and schemes – ultimately, we must seek to be a part of His plans, not expect Him to fit in with ours.
In the third section of this morning’s passage, James sounds off against …
Self-indulgence (5:1-6)
In chapter 5, verses 1-6, James seems to go into prophetic mode, condemning the rich for their obsessive selfishness and their unjust behaviour towards those who are dependent upon them. Although it is unlikely that James was aiming this rant at wealthy believers, I think it is still particularly relevant for Christians to consider, because, as Mark Twain once observed, usually the last thing to be converted in a Christian is his wallet!
It often seems that, when we become a disciple of the Lord, we immediately see the need for change in our behaviour patterns, but fail to recognise a need to reassess what we do with our money. Being rich is not, in itself, sinful – after all, comparatively speaking, probably all of us here this morning would be counted amongst the top 5% richest people in the world – just the fact that we have a roof over our heads, enough food in our refrigerators and clean water flowing from our taps puts us in that bracket. No, being rich is not the issue, it is how we handle our wealth that is key.
Basically, it boils down to what Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” When our own comfort, our own luxury, becomes more important to us than God, becomes more important to us than the welfare of others, that is when we find ourselves in the service of Money, rather than in His service. The fact is that our conversion must include how we use the resources that God provides and how we treat other people.
But, as I have said, I don’t think that James is directly addressing Christians here, so I’ll move on to the fourth part of the passage, a message of encouragement which is definitely intended for his Christian brothers and sisters.
Encouragement (5:7-12)
In verses 7 to 12, James urges the Christians hearing his words to remain patient in the face of trials, in the certain hope of the Lord’s return. Those who grumble that Christ is too slow in returning should remember how long a farmer has to wait to harvest his crop – from sowing to reaping he must go through the seasons of the year.
Maybe we too are impatient for the Lord’s return, maybe we too are losing hope as we see what is happening in the world around us, maybe we too feel under threat within our society; yet we too need to demonstrate the same patient endurance that James advocates.
James cites the prophets as inspiration because they fearlessly did God’s will and brought God’s word to the nation, in spite of the cruel way in which they were often treated. They persevered, even when they knew they themselves would not be alive to see Israel’s deliverance – they had a certain hope in God and that confidence carried them through all their trials and tribulations.
We must have that same strength of faith and resolve in these days.
Conclusion
Maybe at first sight, the Letter of James seems a bit of a hotch-potch of teaching, with little natural flow to it. But James’ over-arching theme is one of ‘readiness’: he wants you to examine yourselves and assess whether your faith is demonstrated in your deeds; control yourselves, especially your tongues; persevere through your present difficulties and endure the troubles ahead; FOR CHRIST IS COMING!!!
May we take James’ teaching seriously and not be unprepared. Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment