PRACTICAL ADVICE

James 1:19 – 2:13

Verse 19 all by itself is a Bible lesson, teaching outline, or sermon outline for that matter. Consider:

Shut up and listen! As a pastor and counselor, I’m considered a good listener. After 59 years as a husband, not so much. I’m slow to shift focus from the book or screen, I interrupt before she’s finished, I mis-hear what she said. A counseling grad student once brought me a tape of one of his sessions to evaluate. I told him shut up and listen. The best counselors and psychiatrists will spend 90% of most sessions just listening.

Slow to speak – that’s part of listening. BTW, apply that to prayer. I’m convinced one reason we think God doesn’t answer prayer is we’re always telling Him how we want the world to run. We need periods of quiet when we just listen to Him. And listen to your spouse. And your kids. And those you work with…

Slow to anger. In counseling books from very different schools of counseling, the same idea keeps popping up: Don’t let your client get away with saying, “He made me mad.” Why? Because anger is a choice. Not everyone gets mad in that situation. Some will even laugh – or cry. Or say something like, “When I hear you say that, I begin to feel angry. Is that what you want?”

James goes on to explain that human anger doesn’t produce righteous behavior. Rather, it can lead swiftly to sin, especially if we retaliate! Notice he also is setting up a link to the next thought by implying that God seeks us to be righteous.

V 21 – Eliminate moral filth. A great way to avoid catching winter diseases is to wash your hands frequently. I saw a sign once in a nursing home rest room that told how to wash your hands. Well, duh? Yeah, duh. The big take-away for me was to use the paper towel to turn off the water and open the door before discarding it in the trash! Do you remember to do that? A great discussion might be on what is the moral equivalent of handwashing? How do you brainwash – in a healthy sense, not by indoctrination into zombies.

Instead, replace that filth with the word (logos) that was implanted in you! The Word is logos, which John uses for Christ or at least the Gospel. So James is saying that when you followed Christ, He came to live within you (the HS). Like a seed it grows, bringing you to maturity in Him. Sometimes it requires effort on your part. Other times, the new life just unfolds itself as in Jesus’s parable about the seed growing quietly. One day you look up and think, “Did I do/say/think that?

Oh – late thought and short flashback! Listening is fine, as James just said, and we should do more of it. But in one case, listening is not enough. We not only listen to the Word of Life, we are to put it into action. In one sense, the atheistic countries and Islamic lands are correct in banning Bibles, especially New Testaments. They know this is a radical book. If they allow it to be read unhindered, the message will gradually undermine their propaganda.

Teachers! – We are called to teach the Bible to people to help them grow as followers of Jesus. Well done, that’s incendiary. Sometimes, we grow by leaps and bounds and at other times it’s a slow, steady progress. But we should look back 5 – 10 years and see growth and change.

Teachers! – Teach to change lives! Teach to make a difference!

25 – What is this perfect law of freedom? We find out later it’s the law of love! Was it Luther who said, “Love God and do what you will?” Jesus gave the two great commandments, to love God and neighbor, and said they fulfilled all of the laws of the OT! Paul said in Galatians 5, “You were called to freedom, brethren…” Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. I am the…truth!”

Tying it together: Hear the Word. Practice it from love and discover what freedom really is!

Verse 26 – You could make a good case that James wrote the book to tell people to control their mouths! He bluntly says he doesn’t think much of anyone’s religion who can’t control his tongue.

My lessons are generally non-political in nature, but you’d be blind and deaf if you read James without applying it to the entire political spectrum. All kinds of politicians out there are proclaiming themselves Christian while saying the vilest things about those in the other party – or even their own! Like James, I have a whole lot of trouble hearing someone proclaim to be a Christian while showing no sign of respect for others. I admire John McCain’s stand once when he was running for president and some of his supporters started attacking his opponent. He interrupted them and treated his opponent with total respect. I forget which opponent and whether a primary or general election, but McCain labeled him a true citizen and patriot whose views on government were different than his. Everyone on both sides of an issue is the result of God’s good creation and also a person for whom Christ died.

Verse 27 in the spirit of the OT prophets, James lifts a frequent example of true Christian service. He challenges us to take care of the helpless as represented by widows and orphans. In that day, a woman without a father or husband to care for her was immediately in dire straits. Their needs came to the fore especially with the persecution that hit Christians from time to time. Again in the realm of politics, I find myself troubled at Christians who take the attitude that all poor people are worthless and leeches on society. No one is worthless. Some indeed are dependent and manipulative. But what I feel coming from those hostile to the poor is not Christian concern about how to reach and change them. Rather the attitude is shape up or ship out, ignoring the affect poverty is having on children. I am basically conservative in politics, but I don’t see enough compassionate conservatism. 

FAVORITISM – Don’t!

Chapter Two begins with a vivid illustration of two men coming into a worship service. One is well dressed, displaying every characteristic of a wealthy and influential person. The other looks like a homeless bum. James envisions several leaping to their feet and offering the rich man a place to sit comfortably near them. On the other hand, others quietly guide the hobo to a corner where he will be less seen or heard.

James and Paul would definitely agree here. Remember that powerful verse in Galatians where Paul states there is no longer slave and free, Jew and Gentile, male or female. Rather all become one in Jesus Christ.

I remember one church I pastored that welcomed people quite well. The only problem was that after a year or so, the former newcomers were still on the outside, with few in rolls of teaching or leadership. Fellowship is a vital NT Doctrine. Christians should aim at allowing the Spirit to shape His church as He sees fit, deeply joining the congregation to one another and to Him, expressing their gifts through ministries.

In 2:8 James spells out the royal law is love of your neighbor. The Golden Rule is an excellent expression of that law. Treat others as you want to be treated.

WHOOPS! 2:10. Break the law at one point, you break it entirely! Well yeah. Notice here that James is referring to moral laws, not ritual as Paul did. He speaks of murder and adultery. Galatians was concerned with circumcision and kosher diets. Don’t confuse the two, as some were in the early days of the church.

I don’t completely buy the idea that all sins are equal. I will admit that every sin is against God. Still, I would grade sins on how much damage they do. I would rather you cuss me out than hit me. If I were female, I would prefer you lust after me rather than rape me. All are sins, but not equal. Surely, a “white” lie as when I tell a lady I like her hideous hairdo is not on the same level with making up vile gossip. Yep, all those minor sins may be enough to send you to hell, but I have the feeling Jesus went to the cross to defeat evil far worse. Another rabbit to chase: Why have we as Christian churches attacked the worst evils in the world. We have recently, led by the WMU, btw, begun to confront trafficking in women, but few and far between are the denouncing of governmental corruption, which is rife. Dr Bill Hull some years ago made the front page of the Shreveport Times when he addressed local corruption from the pulpit of the FBC. That’s very rare.

Look back one more time at verse 8, which is radically important. Love is the royal law! He quotes Jesus who was quoting Leviticus. Love your neighbor as yourself. Remember too the lawyer who asked Jesus who did his neighbor include. To his question, Jesus responded by telling the parable of the good Samaritan. I also think the “Golden Rule,” of treating others as you want to be treated is  a great beginning definition of Christian love. That love is more a behavior than a warm fuzzy feeling.

James ends this section by reminding Christians both to speak and to act as those who are to be judged by the law that gives freedom. Break that down:

Speak and act – If you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk. Hypocrisy is saying one thing and doing another. For example, your children are more likely to imitate your behavior than to behave as you preach. If you are honest, they are more likely to be honest. If you don’t fly into a rage, they are more likely to become calm adults. As Christian leaders, we are called to set the example. Paul at one point challenged others to “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” That’s scary, and I’m not likely to use it. Nevertheless, I’ve found that people notice my behavior at least as much as my words.

As those who are going to be judged – The Lord WILL hold us accountable. Let me never say I can be any kind of pastor or teacher I want to be, because I’m doing the Lord’s work. On the contrary, James will say in a bit, don’t be in such a hurry to become a teacher. Teaching is not a place of prestige, but a place of great responsibility!

Judge by the law that gives freedom – that is judged by love, by the love you showed. Do you live, teach, work, and play as motivated by Christian love. That love includes mercy, kindness. And James reminds us that our entire judgment in the eyes of the Almighty is how loving we have been. I think of Jesus comment after the Lord’s Prayer, “For if you do not forgive others their sins, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you.”  Hey! I desperately need His forgiveness and mercy, so you better believe I’m going to forgive and have mercy on you!

Before shifting the subject, James ends the passage beautifully: Mercy trumps judgment. Because God will have mercy on us, we should overbalance our judgment of others with mercy on them. Just remember, love and mercy have more to do with you than the other. It’s not who deserves my love. It’s how wide can I let my love reach!

Next week: Faith without works is dead!