Hello church! Today we’re continuing in our series, “James: A Mosaic of Wisdom." We’re on week 6 of 10, so CONGRATS, we just passed our halfway mark! If you are joining us for the first time or perhaps missed a week here or there, not to worry, we will do a quick recap.
Quick recap about James:
James (also known as James the Just or Jacob) is Jesus’s half-brother
He was the first leader of the church in Jerusalem
This letter, unlike other New Testament letters, was not written to a specific church or location of believers. Rather, the primary audience is considered to be Jewish Christians who were dispersed outside of Israel.
Additionally, this letter is not teaching new theology or practices. Rather, James is a mosaic of wisdom taken from the Proverbs, the Sermon on the Mount as well as James’ life with Jesus. It’s rich truths and challenges back to back to back to back
Or as our friends at The Bible Project say about the book of James, it is “a perfectly crafted punch in the gut.”
Today’s punch flavor of the day is wisdom or, more specifically, TRUE WISDOM.
Our text for today is the second half of James chapter 3. As we look at this passage together, we can split it up into three sections or "movements:"
Movement 1: Verse 13
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
The first half of chapter 3 warns of the power of the tongue and of our speech. The second half of this chapter begins with a challenge to spoken claims. “I am wise and understanding!” One cannot just say that they are wise and it is so; no. True wisdom is not demonstrated by words alone, it is lived.
The aim of being a follower of Christ; having faith; receiving wisdom from above is not just a holy download of information. The aim of being a follower of Christ; having faith; receiving wisdom from above is to allow this holy download, by the power of the Spirit, to transform us from the inside out and posture us towards one another.
You cannot have one without the other; it is incomplete.
Matthew 22:36-40 helps to demonstrate this:
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
You can almost imagine the shock or confusion on the faces of those gathered - “Jesus, we asked for one commandment? Which ONE is the greatest?” Jesus’ response clearly states: yes, loving God with everything is important, but loving others is just as important.
We must love God AND love our one another.
True wisdom is not displayed through mere words or even knowing about God. True wisdom is lived; embodied and expressed through humility.
Consequently, what James shares next is not surprising. If you thought James was blunt last week, you’re in for a treat.
Movement 2: Verses 14-16
However, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, then stop bragging and living in ways that deny the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above. Instead, it is from the earth, natural and demonic. 16 Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and everything that is evil.
This second movement shows what wisdom is not. More specifically, in these verses, James is investigating the motivation behind someone’s wisdom. Neither words nor actions alone determine whether wisdom is from above or from the earth; it is the condition of one’s heart and mind.
In these verses, we learn the type of soil that earthly wisdom is typically cultivated in: self-centeredness.
James says in verse 14 “stop bragging” about being wise/being great; check your heart. If the “wisdom” you claim to have … requires others to be used; to be made less; to be reduced to a rung in the ladder of success, it is NOT wisdom from above. Seeking wisdom merely for our own benefit or as an intellectual exercise misses the point.
Such focus on self-centeredness reminds of a lesson Jesus taught his disciples. Jesus has just broken bread and blessed the cup, serving communion before His crucifixion then shared someone among them was going to betray him. The disciples started arguing among themselves who would do such a thing. We pick up the story in Luke 22 verse 24.
Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”
The wisdom of this world seeks to be served. The wisdom from above seeks to serve. Let’s see what else wisdom from above entails in our third and final movement.
Movement 3: Verses 17-18
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. 18 Those who make peace plant it like a seed. They will harvest a crop of right living.
The most important thing about wisdom from above: that it is pure.
In this verse, “pure” is the Greek word (hag-nos’) meaning holy; sacred; uncontaminated; undefiled from sin. It is taken from the same root word as (hag'-ee-os) also meaning holy; sacred; with a technical definition meaning “different” or “set apart.”
Not only is wisdom pure, it loves peace, it’s considerate, responsible, reasonable, merciful, sincere. There are so many things in one!
Praise be to God, wisdom from above isn’t mustered up or found in our own strength or doing; hallelujah! Wisdom from above is a gift to receive.
James 1:5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
True Wisdom isn’t just spoken, it is lived.
True Wisdom doesn’t seek to be served, but rather serves.
True Wisdom is a gift to receive.
As people seeking to live and love like Jesus, may we do more than seek wisdom for our own benefit or as an intellectual exercise. God invites us to come with confidence before Him and ask for wisdom from above. More than just receiving, by the power of the Spirit, God invites us to be transformed from the inside out and postures us toward our neighbor.
Original sermon by Pastor Susan Morrill
Blog post adaptation by Allison Freytes
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