University Avenue Church of Christ

UA-NT-10 Essay on James 1-3

Written by Eddie Sharp Thursday, 18 February 2010

Some call the letter of James “Little Brother’s Commentary on Big Brother’s Sermon.” Many of the themes of the Sermon on the Mount are in these five chapters. You might see how many of the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount you can find in James.

We know living as Christians in a fallen world is challenging. James asks us to take on those challenges outside of us and inside of us head on. He says rejoice when trials come because they will make us better if we meet them with faith and wisdom. If life gives you riches, remember that you are mortal; remember your rich position in Christ if life has left you poor. These trials are not temptations from God. They are meant to be trials to make us better, not bitter. The evil one will tempt us to whine and fall.

James says deal with our inner demons: slow ears, quick mouths, hair-trigger tempers, moral filth, and evil. We need to let God’s word sink into our hearts and displace all that garbage. To do this we cannot be casual scanners of the word, forgetting what is said when we walk away. We need to look intently into the word and do what it says—do the word.

James confronts us in our religious conceit. Wagging tongues and proud hearts were the province of the Pharisees and other very religious folk. James says real, religious people control their tongues and care for those who are least, almost invisible, in the world—widow and orphans. James is not through.

James knows the prejudice that can slip into the church. The poor don’t get the good seats. All through Christian history one of the greatest challenges for the church has been the challenge to overcome favoritism. Majorities in power oppress minorities. The principle of the royal law of love is subverted by the law of the survival of the fittest. The truth is that we can live that way if we want but … if we live without showing mercy, we will receive no mercy ourselves. Is that simple enough? James wants to make sure we get it. He is not subtle.

Next James brings in those who believe mere belief is all that God ever wanted from his people. They are the demon-faiths. Jesus had to shut the mouths of the demons who confessed him. James knows the Lord Jesus came to make disciples who would believe and behave — trust and obey.

As an example of the task of adding meaningful action to faith, James poses the problem of the mouth. The mouth gets to say the words, “I believe in Jesus.” The question is what else does that mouth say? The mouth, and the mind that drives it, is so hard to control. It blesses and curses. It speaks words of peace and incites the fires that torch the world. Our words of praise are empty when we don’t care what comes out of our mouths at other times.

James wants us to know that our tongue is really just the extension of our source of wisdom. If we draw our wisdom from above, then our words and actions are good and humble, pure, peace-loving, considerate and more. If our wisdom is earthly, unspiritual and demonic, what good can come of that? James knows where we struggle.