As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:
13Who
[is] wise and understanding among you? Let him display his works out of the
good lifestyle in humility of wisdom.
The general principle stated here is probably patently
obvious: If you think you’re wise, prove
it by the life you live.
As we would think about this, I’m afraid we could all nod
our heads and smile and think we’ve “got it.” On the other hand, I suspect the
truth expressed should profoundly affect who we are. Let’s see if I can put on
paper what I think I mean.
James started this whole discussion with his admonition that
not many of us should presume to be teachers, then headed off on the problem of
our tongues and the difficulty of controlling them. Now he says, “Do you think
you’re wise? Prove it by your life.” I would suggest the two thoughts are very
much related. Especially with “religion” what is typically the first thing we are
inclined to do when we learn something new? Is it not to somehow “teach”
others? As soon as we think we “know” something, we are quite sure we now possess
something others lack and/or need, and so we need to “tell” them. Our “default”
position is to “teach” when we think we’ve become in some way “wise and
understanding.”
I would suggest what James is saying ought to be a bombshell
in our hearts. “Really? You’ve learned something true and important? That’s
wonderful. Now live it. Teach it? That can come later. First live it. First make
sure it has really changed you.” Our default
response to learning ought to be practice, not speaking and teaching. We need
to somehow realize learning should not
set our mouths in motion! It needs to set our lives in motion!
What I suspect James has confronted is perhaps a very subtle
expression of our evil pride. You have wisdom or knowledge? Of course, you
should “share” it. But what if way down deep what that “wisdom” has done is
made us feel like we’re “better” than everyone else? What if way down deep the
real truth is it has made us arrogant? If that is the case, when we “teach” it,
how well will we really communicate God’s truth? Even if it really is “truth,”
even if it really is “wisdom,” even if it really is God’s truth and truth that could be very helpful to others – what will
happen if the real, way down deep reason we want to “teach” it is because we
have the sin of pride hiding in our hearts? One way or another that fact, the fact
of arrogance in our hearts, will certainly torpedo our determination to “help”
others.
I think there is way too much emphasis in American Christianity
to run out and “tell” everyone. James is saying that our most immediate focus
ought to be living what we think we’ve
learned. I would even suggest, based on James’ admonition, we should be reluctant to be “telling” when we really
haven’t lived out the teaching ourselves. James says, “Don’t be quick to want
to teach. Instead, display the beauty of the truth out of a good lifestyle in
the humility that (really) comes from wisdom.”
Interesting he goes on in the next few verses to distinguish
real godly wisdom from devilish. We’ll read that God’s wisdom makes people
humble and virtuous, while Satan’s “wisdom” makes us angry and quarrelsome. If
we are rushing ahead, not heeding warnings like James’, not fearful of our
tongues set on fire by hell, and not even considering that our passion to “tell”
might just be a very subtle form of evil pride, then should we be surprised if,
in one way or another, it ends up leading into contention rather than blessing?
It makes me think back to my own youth. As part of American
fundamentalism, I was immediately cast into “teaching” situations. At the time
I found it all very exciting. God had blessed me and I wanted to bless others.
That is all well and good. But was it? If we had all taken James’ admonitions
to heart, if we really believed our tongues are set on fire by hell, if I had
realized just how subtle and utterly fatal is the sin of pride, I wonder if it
wouldn’t have been better to do what James says. I wonder what difference it
would have made if someone had set me down and said, “OK, Don. It’s great that
you’re excited. It’s great that you are learning amazing things from God’s
Word. But, Don, you need to focus for now on actually integrating those truths
into your own life. If you rush out to “tell” everyone else, you are in enormous
danger of being motivated by pride and arrogance, not real love. The only cure
is to humble yourself, live out God’s truth, and when He’s ready for you to “teach”
others, He’ll call you to it. For now, humble yourself, keep your mouth shut
and your ears open, and wait on the Lord to graduate you to greater
responsibilities.” What difference would it have made?
Once again, I don’t know what should have transpired. But I
am convinced no one took James 3 seriously. God forgive me. It was there all the
time. Unfortunately arrogance blinds us. Pride is the one sin that hides itself
in a sinner’s heart. Only the Lord can open our eyes, help us to see it for all
its hideous ugliness, and repent of it.
God deliver us all. Make me a living epistle, known and read by everyone. And help me know how to
be content with that when I should be.
No comments:
Post a Comment