Sermon for September 22nd 2024, James gets wisdom.

 

Sunday, 22 September 2024  The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

As we continue our journey through James’ letter, I’ve was starting to think he may not be my favourite writer in the Bible. While he has many good and useful things to say, he is probably too direct and even harsh for my taste.

However, I think James must know his audience, and to his mind, they clearly need to be told what they need to know, in very clear terms.

I also know my audience, a little bit at least, and in the end, thought better not to be too tough with you today, and in any case, it wouldn’t look right, because that’s not the kind of person I am.

For James though, winning people to follow in the faith means being tough and harsh, after several chapters of warnings and illustrations of the consequences of living contrary to God’s plan, James moves in this passage to describe the good life and give some positive guidance for pursuing it, while still being very direct.

We see here some of the clearest parallels between James and other wisdom literature which we may be familiar with, both in the Hebrew Bible (especially Proverbs) and the literature of other cultures worldwide, both ancient and modern.

In fact, James uses the language of “wisdom,” contrasting true and false wisdom by means of catalogues of character traits that exhibit first false, then true, wisdom.

As in much wisdom literature, the implied question is, “How can I live a good life?” And, like much other wisdom or ancient philosophical works, the answer lies in the paradox that a good life cannot be found by seeking it directly; rather, when one seeks wisdom, the good life will follow.

While lists of right and wrong are common in ancient wisdom works, and James’s lists has similarities in common, here James shapes his teaching on wisdom with his own lists. False wisdom, James claims, comes from jealousy and selfish ambition, traits that lead people to believe that they are better than others and that they have nothing to learn from other people.

Those who imagine that they are above others are, according to James, actually below them, in that the “wisdom” they practice,

“does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual and devilish” (verse 15).

James’ logic is then that inappropriate actions cannot help but follow. True wisdom, by contrast, is open to others. It is “pure, … peaceable, gentle, willing to yield” (verse 16). Themes from earlier in the letter are continued: false wisdom talks incessantly, but true wisdom listens. False wisdom blathers on about faith, but true wisdom goes quietly about faithful acts.

James’s special emphasis, then, is that wisdom cannot be found unless it is pursued in a spirit of meekness. Meekness is necessary for wisdom, which in turn leads to the good life.

As Jesus said in the beatitudes in Matthew, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. What a countercultural messages these are for us, in which so many seem to think that “the good life” cannot be realized unless one is important, famous, successful, earn a lot of money or are a recognised leader in their field, when it almost doesn’t matter what you had to do to succeed.

the way of life James has described, filled with wisdom and gentleness, is summarised by saying that peace will encompass those who practice peace; and again, James echoes the Beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” and however direct James may be, he really does seem to have a desire to see peace being rewarded by peace, completely in line with Jesus own way of thinking.

However, we aren’t finished there, because our reading jumps into chapter four where James decides that he must deal contentiously with contentiousness. Even-handed language about the humble and peaceful pursuit of wisdom falls away as he briskly confronts those whom he sees as behaving improperly toward others.

James makes use of an economic illustration. Scarcity of desired goods leads to an increase in demand, and increased demand leads to disregard of other persons, even to the extent of war.

As any economist knows, one way to solve the problem is by increasing supply; but to seek to increase supply by asking God for what we need is futile until we remove ourselves from the economic way of thinking altogether. We receive what we need by no longer seeking it for our own benefit. We only gain when we give away.

So do we crave, cannot have and fight over, that we forget to ask for, or ask in vain because we ask selfishly?

Cannily, and in keeping with the style of wisdom literature, James sidesteps the “what” to focus attention on the “how,” our attitudes and actions. Many groups of readers, in various eras and vastly different circumstances, can see themselves reflected in this portrait.

The final section of our passage consists of short, pithy sayings, a series of imperatives that, taken together, describe the Christian life. The idea of “submission” is, familiar in the NT; Here, though, the demand for submission is to God alone. No other authority, human or divine, is in view.

Similarly, the ideas of resisting, fleeing, and drawing near are common in the Bible and the verb “draw near” used here is apparently the same as in the Gospels, “the Kingdom of God has drawn near“).

Then, in the final verse today, we are given a choice; between the devil and God. Resist the devil, who will flee when resisted, draw near to God and God will draw near to you.

Once again, in a few words, James creates an idea we can picture quite easily, that sets us as being between two opposing forces: God and the devil.

And it’s interesting that James hands the choice clearly to us, we can either resist the devil, or draw near to God. It’s quite simple.

This choice isn’t completely without guidance though. James has also told us that by being peaceful, gentle or meek, by not showing favouritism, by not being selfish, through good works, by asking for what is right, by trusting in the wisdom of God, by living a good life, wisdom will follow. Wisdom will guide us in drawing near to God.

So while James may be direct, he speaks to heart and soul of being a Christian. That ethos for being a way to live, an ethical framework which certainly for me, is a key part of faith, the teaching of right and wrong. So perhaps, James may not be my least favourite writer after all. 

Amen

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Notes

(some notes were gleaned from here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-25-2/commentary-on-james-313-18-41-3-7-8)

Readings

Psalm 54

1  Save me, O God, by your name ♦︎
   and vindicate me by your power.
2  Hear my prayer, O God; ♦︎
   give heed to the words of my mouth.
3  For strangers have risen up against me,
      and the ruthless seek after my life; ♦︎
   they have not set God before them.
4  Behold, God is my helper; ♦︎
   it is the Lord who upholds my life.
5  May evil rebound on those who lie in wait for me; ♦︎
   destroy them in your faithfulness.
6  An offering of a free heart will I give you ♦︎
   and praise your name, O Lord, for it is gracious.
7  For he has delivered me out of all my trouble, ♦︎
   and my eye has seen the downfall of my enemies.

James 3.13 – 4.3, 7–8a

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ²You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

Mark 9.30–37

³⁰Jesus and his disciples passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; ³¹for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ ³²But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

³³Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ ³⁴But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ ³⁶Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Collect

Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Lord, we pray that your grace
   may always precede and follow us,
and make us continually to be given to all good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.