Unconventional Wisdom

Every once in a while as a church we circle around to all reading the same passages of scripture at the same time. Today we are launching a series in the letter of James, and that makes for a great opportunity for us to all read through the entire letter of James together as a church spread over the coming weeks. This comes right after we just finished the series on how to read scripture. So, it also makes for a great opportunity to put into practice all the things we just looked at regarding scripture: how to read for understanding, how to read for identity, and how to read for transformation.

In all the church mailboxes today is a bookmark with a reading schedule for the next four weeks. All five chapters of James are divided into daily readings on that schedule so that everyone in this church can be reading the same passages of scripture each day in the coming weeks. You will notice when you look at the schedule that each passage is given two days. For example, tomorrow’s reading on Monday is James 1:1-12, and then we read James 1:1-12 again on Tuesday before moving on to James 1:13-18 on Wednesday. The reason we repeat each reading for two days is so that we can actually begin to practice those different scripture reading focuses we just covered in the last sermon series. So, the first day you read the passage for basic understanding and meaning. And then when you re-read the same passage the next day, you can dive more deeply into application by contemplating particular words or phrases or themes that may be particularly relevant to your life right now as a prompting from the Holy Spirit.

And finally you will notice that there are only readings for Monday thru Saturday. Sunday is set aside for me to take just one of the passages from James and open up the general over-all themes of James for us to consider. And that is exactly what we are going to do right now as we begin with a few verses from James 1. The letter of James has often been characterized as practical wisdom. But I think as we see these opening verses of the letter it quickly becomes evident that—at first glance—the advice James gives to the church may have been received as quite unconventional. The readers who first received this letter might have raised an eyebrow at the suggestions James is pitching their way in these opening paragraphs. Let’s take a look and see if we can get at this unconventional wisdom James is setting up for his readers.

James 1:2–18 (NIV)

James 1:2–18 NIV

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. 9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Alright, James just jumps right into it at the beginning of this letter. Let me back up for just a second and fill in verse 1 to help us see the context of the letter.

James 1:1 (NIV)

James 1:1 NIV

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

This is not much as far as introductions go. The apostle Paul often stretches his introduction to be a full paragraph followed by another full paragraph of blessing or well-wishes. Not James. He says, “hey, it’s James and I’m writing to you..” and boom, he dives right in.

James has a brief introduction — assumes his audience already accepts his position

There was more than one person named James in the early church. Dating for the writing of this letter makes it likely that the the disciple James was already dead before this letter was written. (That would be James the brother of the apostle John, one of the sons of Zebedee.) The most likely author that is unanimously agreed upon by biblical scholars is that this letter is coming from James the brother of Jesus, son of Mary and Joseph. It is known in the book of Acts that James took a central leadership role in the early church in Jerusalem among the Jewish converts to Christianity. And we see here that James addresses his letter to the scattered tribes among the nations—he is addressing the Jewish believers in the church, not the Greek gentile converts. That makes this letter solidly likely to be coming from James the brother of Jesus.

James (brother of Jesus) held position of leadership in the Jerusalem church

We also know from stories in the book of Acts that James was held in high esteem as a leader in the early church. When the Jerusalem council is gathered in Acts 15, Peter speaks, and then Paul speaks, and then there is a dispute among the church leaders. And then it is James who speaks up and resolves their dispute and gives instructions for what will happen next; and everyone agrees with James and listens to him.

This is good context for us to be understanding this letter. James is not afraid to write with a certain amount of authority. He does not have to convince his readers or win them over or plead his case. James knows that he has been given the right to speak with some authority and his readers know that when James writes to them, they should pay attention to what he is saying. All this makes sense then for why it is James can dispense with the pleasantries and jump right into laying out his advice and instructions for the church immediately out of the gate here in chapter 1. And it also makes contextual sense that James would not be afraid to jump right in with wisdom that may have been received as so unconventional.

logical opposites: be joyful when you face trials — those in humble circumstances should take pride in their high position — those who are rich and powerful should see themselves as being in humble position

Take a look at the logical opposites that James puts forth in this opening passage of his letter. Be joyful when you face trials. Those in humble circumstances should take pride in their high position. Those who are rich and powerful should see themselves as being in humble position. These are all unconventional ways of thinking that formed the exact opposite of how the world would operate. It was true back then in the time of James, and I think it is still true for our world yet today. The culture of our world would suggest that trials and struggles should not be received with joy, those who have been beaten down to lowly positions in society don’t take pride in that, and those who gain wealth and power have every right to hold onto that wealth and power along with the status and benefits which come along with it.

gospel reminder: instead of being served, Jesus came to be a servant — instead of seeking power, Jesus gave up his divine majesty — instead of chasing after wealth, Jesus chased after those who were outcasts

James is reminding his readers that the gospel of Jesus comes with an upside-down backwards way of thinking as compared to the ways of the world. Instead of being served, Jesus came to be a servant. Instead of seeking power, Jesus gave up his divine majesty. Instead of chasing after power and wealth, Jesus chased after those who had been cast aside and pushed to the margins of society.

This means that we can clearly see the temptations and doubts and double-minded behavior to which James is referring in this passage fit a narrow definition. James is telling his readers, don’t be tempted to follow the power and wealth of the world instead of following the servant mentality of Jesus. Don’t doubt the way of humble lowly discipleship to Jesus. Don’t be double-minded in thinking you can be both a follower of Jesus, and keep living in the extravagant wealth and power lifestyle of the world. The humble servant discipleship we profess as followers of Jesus is in direct contradiction to outward actions and ways of living which embrace, instead, worldly riches and powerful positions of control.

what does James mean by temptations, doubts, double-minded? contradiction between inner belief and outward actions

Indeed, we will see as keep reading ahead in the letter of James in the coming weeks that this contradiction between inner belief and outward actions becomes a major theme in the letter. The absolute contradiction between what a person says and what a person does is a major theme that James cannot ignore and will not dismiss. All of that is set up right here in the beginning by James reminding his readers that the way of Jesus is countercultural to the world. That, as we shall see in coming weeks, needs to be evident not only in what the church says they believe, but also evident in how the church acts.

James points to trials as something which nudges us towards humble servant discipleship

It is for this reason that James can point to things like trials and struggles with an eye towards joy. James knows that when the ways of the world get us into trouble and create conflict and don’t work out for us, those things can also serve as reminders to nudge us back towards the ways of Christ, back towards the way of humble servant discipleship.

James is addressing actions taken inside the church (see Acts 15)

I can’t help but see this letter of James alongside the events of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15. We will see as the letter goes on that James is not setting up an us-against-the-world context for the church. The words and actions of James in the book of Acts makes it clear that James is very much addressing arguments and divisions taking place within the church itself. In this letter James is addressing the ways in which the people of the church are treating one another. Paul gives attention to this same thing in some of his letters to the New Testament churches. Paul says it like this in his letter to the Galatian churches.

Galatians 5:13–15 (NIV)

Galatians 5:13–15 NIV

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

I think it is this same biting and devouring and destroying each other that James has in mind when he says in today’s passage:

James 1:14–15 (NIV)

James 1:14–15 NIV

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

And Just as Paul reminds the church that command of Jesus to love one another is the countercultural way of humble servant discipleship, James reminds his readers that this humble servant disciple way of living actually comes to us as a good gift of God.

James 1:16–18 (NIV)

James 1:16–18 NIV

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

the way of humble servant discipleship comes to us as a good gift of God

if James thought the church was a lost hopeless cause, he would not be writing a letter of correcting advice

Here’s the point. As we move forward in coming days and weeks to read through the rest of this letter, do not be discouraged or disappointed at the recognition of our own failures and shortcomings. It is true, we struggle to live up to the standard that James puts forth for the people of God. But the very reality that we struggle with it is evidence that we are at least engaged and trying. If James thought this was hopeless as a lost cause, he would not have written this letter to give this advice for the church. So, don’t lose hope. Yes, this wisdom we see in James is unconventional. And yes, we often struggle to grasp and embrace the countercultural way of humble servant discipleship modeled to us by Christ. But just as James is confident in the power of the gospel to change people’s lives, we can have confident hope as well. One of the overarching themes of scripture is that God does not give up on his people. The Holy Spirit continues to be active among us as the people of God’s church. May we—like James—embrace that as evidence of “every good and perfect gift, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who…chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”

just as James is confident in the power of the gospel to change people’s lives, we can have confident hope as well