The Book of James: Signs of True Religion
Given in August 2021
LESSON THREE: True Religion displays wisdom, not only information (Chapter 3)
Introduction
Mark Twain, the American folktale humourist used to say, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”
When you think about wisdom, maybe your mind turns immediately to non-wisdom, and the regrets you have over the course of your life. More often than not, the regret we first consider has to do with what we say, what we said to our teacher or to the captain at the club, or to God, that time. Our mouth gets us in trouble so often. Of course, it’s not our mouth at all, it’s our words. But we use the synecdoche, ‘mouth’ to represent the language we speak and the words we say.
Yaakov has introduced us to this mouth business in chapter 1 with this
“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (1.26-27)
True religion displays wisdom, shown as God wanting us to have a bridled tongue, and to live out our religion in front of others in such a way that they give praise to God. We said that it’s our deeds, not our creeds that is going to make a difference in the world.
In chapter two Ya’akov zoomed in on this issue as well. Some will say they have faith and others will perform righteous deeds. Who gets the praise of the apostle? The doer, not the speaker.
Now we turn to chapter three. We could say this is the centre of the book, the hump of the five chapters. And the imagery is abundant.
1. The Problem of the Tongue (.1-.12)
Remember, Yaakov learned well the wisdom of the Tenach along with his older half-brother Yeshua, and this idea of taming the tongue is not new. There’s no better book for wisdom than the book of Proverbs. For instance,
“Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin." (Proverbs 13.3) Solomon also wrote “A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire.” (16.27) “A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.” (17.20) That wisdom was picked up by others. The Apostle Paul would write half a decade after Yaakov, this similar note to the believers in Ephesus, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)
Let’s just say the Bible is full of dozens of verses that speak about our speaking and paint a serious picture of biblical wisdom.
From the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, under ‘tongue” we read these points.
“Just as the words uttered by the tongue are symbols, so too the word ‘tongue’ occurs frequently with symbolic import. These symbolic uses fall into four main categories.
1) By metonymy, the tongue stands for the language used by the tongue. (Speaking in.., languages of a nation, etc)
2) Tongue often points to an individual utterance (Psalm 73.9 “their tongue struts through the earth.”) of a person
3) Sometimes tongue refers to the shape of an object and
4) Tongue can convey nonverbal messages” (DBI, page 875-876)
In Jewish thought, and in every day Jewish life in these days, the idea of ‘lashon hara’ (evil tongue) simply means ‘slander.’ It’s speaking about someone to defame them. When you start to listen to gossip from another, the way to stop it altogether I to cut out the lashon hara’. Yaakov will help us.
Yaakov gives us six pictures of the tongue here in chapter 3, and the tongue as we have seen is a picture in itself!
So, we have seven images to help us get this right. The tongue itself and three pairs. Verse one says we have teachers who are assigned from heaven to make us hear this and to learn the godly religion as described. Let’s group these six into three pairs.
A. The power to direct: The bit and the rudder
I watched the Olympics a couple of weeks ago and the equestrian events were remarkable. By the way, these are the only events where men and women compete directly against one another. Watching the horses run and jump was literally beautiful. And they were controlled by jockeys who had the reins, and they were centred in the horse’s mouth in the bit. By definition, a bit is a piece of metal or synthetic material that fits in a horse's mouth and aids in the communication between the horse and rider. It's part of the bridle and allows the rider to connect with the horse via the reins. I watched some seriously large animals being controlled by this bit. That’s the imagery that Ya’akov wants us to see.
In the same way, he uses the image of the rudder. Another small item on a ship or an airplane. The rudder moves in the direction of lower pressure. As the rudder goes, so goes the stern, and the boat turns. During turns the boat pivots around a point near its midsection—roughly at the mast on a sloop. The stern moves one way, the bow moves the other way, as the boat changes direction.
Both items, the rudder and the bit, are designed to lead, to direct the whole operation. Now, obviously there is a person directing these direction-setting elements, but the idea of the tongue as setting your direction is an echo of the Proverbs. And of the words of Yeshua himself.
Remember, he spoke to Nicodemus at night and that man’s life was changed forever. Yeshua called the 12 and they turned the world upside down. Verse 5 says, “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.” Not boast in the sense of pride, but in the same way a bit and a rudder guide, so our tongue guides us hopefully into great things.
B. Power to destroy: The fire and the animals
The next pair of images are the blazing fire and the animals of the wild. And combine those here in Australia, and we know bushfires very well. Although the Word of God is compared to a fire (Jeremiah 23.29), and fire accompanies the baptism of the Spirit (Matt. 3.11), here Ya’akov is comparing the fire to the tongue in its capacity to ruin. Those Aussie bushfires two years ago in 2019 certainly demonstrated that reality more clearly than most images for us city folks. 33 people died that summer in the fires, and over 3 billion animals lost their lives. That’s a devastating picture of ruin.
And our tongues can ruin all sorts of relationships. That’s where lashon hara comes in. That’s where gossip and slander, and spreading lies comes in. Tim Keller, the New York pastor of Redeemer Church, wrote a devotional this week which appeared (and I shared) on my Facebook on the 23rd. I was especially struck by his thinking about social media and debate there. It said this in part.
“Mockers set a city on fire” agitating people, stirring up scepticism, doubt, division, and cynicism. This leads to a breakdown in society because people who listen to mockers can’t really believe or trust in any ideals, noble causes, or moral absolutes.” Keller goes on to say that social media has ‘given mockers a platform to set our society on fire with polarizing, incendiary speech.”
What we say can seriously ruin people and that’s the worst of this era.
The second partner in this ruin pair is the animals, beast, bird, sea-animal, and reptile, and each is tameable, BUT the tongue is not able to be tamed. Why? He says it is a ‘restless evil and full of deadly poison.’ Even a little poison will kill someone. Our relationships are what matter more to the apostle Ya’akov.
Warren Weirsbe said, “For every word in Mein Kompf, (Word Count 153,750 words), 125 people lost their lives in World War Two. (Total: 19,218,750). The total is only the military personnel. If you include the civilians, the number is doubled. So, for every word in Hitler’s magnus opus 250 people died in six years. You get it; the tongue is a fire and it’s unable to be tamed.
C. Power to Delight: The fountain and the tree
The third pair are the fountain and the tree. These are places of delight and pleasure. Or not. But the apostle is saying we have a choice, we can have a fountain of bad water or a tree of wrong fruit. I hear Yeshua’s words, and maybe you do as well.
“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.” (Matt. 7.15-20)
A fountain at Trevi below Rome’s Spanish Steps or in the middle of JC Nichols Parkway in the Country Club Plaza, or in the middle of Sydney’s Hyde Park are draw cards for tourists and for those who thirst. If a tourist approaches one of those majestic fountains and finds the water bitter, you can bet that the news will spread, and that place will stop being a stop on the tour maps. It’s an outrageous idea that a fountain can produce both sweet and bitter water.
Similarly, the idea of a fig tree producing olives is against nature.
In the same way, our words ought to reflect the true religion, the wisdom of God, and the lashon hatov (Good tongue) of saying what we mean and living in front of the world in such a way that they will testify of God.
Yesterday I attended a funeral on Livestream. Due to government regulations, only 10 people were allowed to see the over 90-minute ceremony of the life of Dr Lionel Hovey. 250 people were watching when I was. He was a Jewish man, 82 years old, Sydney-based, an anaesthetist by profession, and the ceremony was stunning as testimony and eulogy came from friends and family alike. I was especially taken by the words of one of his mates named Peter who recommended that we all go back to reconsider what Lionel had tried to share with them, and that ‘we had dismissed,” he said. Batting clean-up, my friend Michael Jensen who conducted the funeral shared again, as others had in the service, of Lionel’s faith in Jesus, and highlighted that this one fact set him up for this life and the one to come. That’s a great testimony.
I think about what Ya’akov is trying to get out of the believers in his letter or sermon. I think if you want to know if you are living in true religion, you ought to ask your neighbour. You ought to ask your kids or parents. What does the world notice about you? What do those who live nearest you, in your unit or on your block…what do they say about you? Then it’s not only your words but seriously it’s your actions that they will also notice.
I say this, not to make you feel guilty, but to challenge you, as Ya’akov is challenging you. Is your religion true? Is it full of God’s wisdom? What is God’s wisdom after all?
For that, we turn again to our text,
2. Wisdom compared (Earthly vs Heavenly) (13-18)
The contrasts are simple in Ya’akov’s world, and maybe he also learned that from his older brother. The parables of Yeshua about the rich man and Lazarus, or the people who heard the Word and built their houses on sand or on the rock, the Good Samaritan vs the Jewish leadership of the day… it was very black and white in the verbiage of Yeshua. Simple. Sometimes.
Here Ya’akov wants us to get to the level of peace between the mishpochah, and he calls us out on how we are living, and what we are saying demonstrates what we consider wisdom to be.
Weirsbe breaks down this section into a Contrast in origins, in operations and in outcomes. In other words, if the wisdom we believe and to which we cling is from heaven, then it has a good chance of being worked out well in our lives. If the wisdom has an origin that is not of God, or we might say pretending to be divine, then like a tree, in its fruit we will know from where it comes.
Let me make this very clear. The opposite of heavenly is not demonic necessarily. Yes, it includes it, but let’s be frank. Yeshua said this to Peter one day when Peter rebuked Yeshua, yes, imagine that moment! Yeshua turned away from Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but man’s.” (Matt. 16.23)
When a new bit of information comes to you, in social media, in the reading of the newspaper, at the water cooler when you get back to work, or from the tele, ask yourself this… is the focus on man or on God? If your pastor is the greatest teacher or the most entertaining, if your faith is designed to get you to gain heaven rather than serving the needy or the lost, if your religion is about what you can gain rather than what you can disperse, then you are setting your interest on man’s purposes. That’s the spirit of what Ya’akov is teaching. The contrasting operations couldn’t be clearer, nor could the outcomes be clearer.
Earthly, natural. The Greek word is psychikos, from which we get psychology. The study of the psyche or soul. It’s translated elsewhere as sensual and here as natural. (1 Cor. 2.14, 15.44, Jude 19)
Satan lured Eve and got Adam to sin by saying the tree was good for much, especially ‘you will be like God.’ (Gen. 3.5) The appeal was divine nature by a shortcut, and the wisdom was not wisdom at all, but a demonic ploy to get us away from God. What a waste.
No, you know a tree by its fruit, Yeshua said, and the fruit of sensual wisdom is evident. Look at the list. Jealousy, Selfish ambition, disorder, every evil thing. The seed of every evil thing is a heart of sensual wisdom that is like a bush fire out of control. It will dominate.
But the wisdom which has its origin in the Lord himself, is pure and peaceable. It’s not selfish. It’s not contentious. It seeks the good of the others. Verse 17: gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
That’s a solid citizen. That’s an 82-year-old saint. That’s you and (please God) me in service to each other and to those near us. Straight. Wholesome. Seeking God and seeking God’s blessing on others. And the result, the outcome then is peace. It’s righteousness or being right with God. And that happens by being at peace with God and with one another.
This is a short but fantastic chapter of deep philosophy and holy theology. What will you do with all this?
Next week we will talk more about the lust and wars and making plans. I’ll hope to see you then. In a few minutes, we will open the floor for questions and comments about what we discussed today. Next week---True Religion: It begins with Humility.
Until then, Shabbat shalom.
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Our series’ outline (Today’s lesson in red)
1. True Religion endures hardships and trials (Chapter 1:2-18)
a. With joy and patience (Chapter 1:2-4)
b. With godly wisdom (Chapter 1:5-8)
c. From a proper perspective (Chapter 1:9-11)
d. Given an understanding of temptation (Chapter 1:12-15)
e. Knowing the father and his goodness (Chapter 1:16-18)
2. True Religion consists of doing, not only hearing (Chapter 1:19-2:26)
a. First you must hear (Chapter 1:19-20)
b. After hearing, doing is required (Chapter 1:21-27)
c. In doing, show no favouritism (Chapter 2:1-13)
d. Doing demonstrates our faith (Chapter 2:14-26)
3. True Religion displays wisdom, not only information (Chapter 3:1-18)
a. The problem of the tongue (Chapter 3:1-12)
b. Contrast between heavenly and earthly wisdom (Chapter 3:13-18)
4. True Religion begins with humility (Chapter 4:1-17)
a. Friend or foe? (Chapter 4:1-6)
i. Three wars
b. Drawing close to God (Chapter 4:7-17)
i. Three enemies
ii. Three admonitions
5. True Religion is blessed (Chapter 5:1-20)
a. Not blessed, the rich oppression (Chapter 5:1-6)
i. Be prayerful in economic troubles
b. The blessing of patience (Chapter 5:7-12)
i. Be prayerful in physical troubles
c. The blessing of prayer (Chapter 5:13-18)
i. Be prayerful in national troubles
d. Blessing those who fail (Chapter 5:19-20)
i. Be prayerful in church troubles
Bibliography
Dickson, John (and Simon Smart), Vital Signs, Aquila Press, Sydney, 2006.
Martin, Ralph P., James, Word Biblical Commentary Series, Nelson Publishing, Nashville, 2006.
Ryken, L., Wilhoit J., Longman T., Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, 1998.
Wiersbe, Warren, Be Mature, SP Publications, Wheaton, IL, 1978.
Actual text
James 3:1 aLet not many of you become teachers, bmy brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a 1stricter judgment. 2 For we all astumble in many ways. bIf anyone does not stumble in 1what he says, he is a cperfect man, able to dbridle the whole body as well. 3 Now aif we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. 4 Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it aboasts of great things.
bSee how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And athe tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which bdefiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our 1life, and is set on fire by 2chell. 7 For every 1species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human 1race. 8 But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of adeadly poison. 9With it we bless aour Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, bwho have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. 11 Does a fountain send out from the same opening both 1fresh and bitter water? 12 aCan a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce 1fresh.
James 3:13 Who among you is wise and understanding? aLet him show by his bgood behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ajealousy and 1selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and solie against bthe truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down afrom above, but is bearthly, 1cnatural, ddemonic. 16 For where ajealousy and 1selfish ambition exist, 2there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom afrom above is first bpure, then cpeaceable, dgentle, 1reasonable, efull of mercy and good fruits, funwavering, without ghypocrisy. 18 And the 1aseed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace 2by those who make peace.
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