13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Every congregation answers the question: what does it look like for a person to have been taught by God? What are the markers that someone has been shaped by, directed by, blessed by, matured by being in the Presence of God? Whoever these are should be in leadership; we should be following their lead. We want what they have.
There’s a tendency to install into church leadership those who simply have been successful in their careers. And/or who are materially wealthy. We do a quick syllogism: God made the world so that if you do things right you’ll be obviously successful. This person is successful. He’s cracked the code and in following him we’ll crack the code too.
Another thing that churches can do is to exalt the brightest theologians, the ones with the dog-eared Bibles, the ones who know all the answers to the obscure religious questions: who was Obadiah written to, what were the circumstances that caused Henry VIII to split from the Roman Catholic Church, how many angels can fit on the head of a pin? Whoever knows the most answers – this is the one to officially or unofficially install as church leader and begin to follow.
Well, we’re right about this: who we will look up to, whom we will emulate – these are important questions. Here is James’ answer, or better the Spirit’s answer through His servant, James: The wise person is marked, certified – not by wealth or status or knowledge – but good behavior. Did you hear the emphasis: Let him show by his good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
Not what he says but what he does. Not knowing the right answers but a life lived a certain way. Not a high bank balance but good conduct.
Let us not be children, though, and consider these as always mutually exclusive. In fact, because God has made the world in certain ways, there is often a connection between wealth and virtue, knowledge and virtue. But virtue is the final, best tell for the one who is truly wise.
Or to use James’ phrase: who does works in the meekness of wisdom. Conduct that has been informed by and submitted to the principle of wisdom. Wisdom tells you “No” a lot. Wisdom is something to which you surrender, not once but many times. Wisdom involves the habit of surrendering to wisdom.
Ok, there’s our first lesson: possessors of true wisdom have a conduct to show for it.
Second lesson: True wisdom’s good conduct is NOT fueled by competitiveness. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. There’s a false way of arriving at virtue: you’re working hard so you can prove your high school classmates wrong; you’re being sweet and good because you’ve figured out that’s the way to make your sister feel jealous. You’re ultimately doing the good you’re doing for likes, a higher follower count, admiration.
A man’s praise shall test him, says the old Proverb. Proverbs 27:21. How a person responds to compliments reveals his character. When people are wowed by what you’ve accomplished, express admiration for something you built or wrote or whatever… it is so easy to enjoy that, in the odd moment to recall what they said and to quietly turn it over in your mind, savoring it. And then in the future to be guided by the prospect of more adulation.
It’s easy to start to make decisions based on where you’ll get the most praise. But this selfish ambition isn’t the way of true wisdom.
Some people are driven throughout their lives by jealousy of their siblings. Passing by the important career markers faster. Bigger house. My kids are more successful; they like me more than yours like you. I’ve made better financial decisions.
And so whatever they’re doing it’s all about proving, proving, proving. Me, me, me. No wonder James calls this earthly, unspiritual. The Spirit of God isn’t guiding and shaping, but rather the real fuel is about how to get ahead in other people’s thoughts. Though God is in none of their thoughts… but only earthly considerations.
Correction, God could be in plenty of your thoughts but only as another way of getting ahead of others or getting people to admire you. Yes, even spirituality could become just another arenaof selfish ambition. Christianity is just another venue to place yourself at the center…this one so that you feel good and happy and at peace.
No, an evidence of true wisdom, Spiritual wisdom, is not more paying attention to yourself – even if that’s to observe yourself being good or holy or humble. The evidence of true wisdom is less preoccupation with self.
I’ve hauled out this quotation from C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity” before (and I’ll continue to do so until morale improves!) Seriously, I cannot think of a better insight to combat our selfishness.
“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.
Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.
If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”
James also tosses in the word demonic and – as in our last passage when he said that the tongue is set on fire by hell – we might be tempted to think that he’s being hyperbolic. But no. Demons are interested in setting you in the middle of a wisdom mirage where you think there’s something deep or good or spiritual going on… but you’re still imprisoned in yourself. Did you hear that – demons are not trying to get you focused on goats or pentagrams or Ouija boards…but on yourself.?
Even if one’s fundamental selfishness, competitiveness, vainglory is for some time couched in politeness, affability, accomplishment, virtue – – eventually things will start to crack. Disorder (or unruly, unprincipled behavior) and every vile practice will start showing up. You’re cutting corners to stay ahead of the competition (not that the other people know they’re your competitors) and eventually that catches up to you. You’ll make unwise, rushed financial choices so that you can impress people with your glittering, progress filled life. The stress of keeping watch on other people (so that you can stay in front of them), keeping watch on your stats and impressions, keeping watch on what you believe are people’s opinions about you…it starts to dominate your life. It’ll fill you with a low grade anxiety. And then you turn to the old stress relievers: illicit sex (often pornography), substances…
Say no, Church! Think yourself out of the competition game. Quit treating Christ and Christianity and the Church as yet another means of self-promotion, self-realization, therapy. “And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Ok, so the wisdom from below – though it might for a while look like the real stuff, eventually shows itself. So what does the wisdom that comes down from God look like? What does it look like for someone to have been taught by God, formed by God? And the list that James gives us is our third lesson. So, review: 1) true wisdom shows itself – not primarily through words or intellectual attainment but in conduct. 2) True wisdom isn’t about beating the competition or in any way putting self at the center. And then 3) this list. This, and other so-called “virtue lists” in the New Testament are to be memorized.
The wisdom from God is first pure. Meaning, the first thing to say about it is that it does the right thing. Keeps the rules. All the rules. So…be good and hide your good deeds from others. “Don’t look too good nor talk too wise.” Be honest and don’t be rude or talkative. Don’t have illicit sex and don’t think of sex as unfortunate, dirty. Be diligent and rest one day out of seven. Be nice to your kids and spank their rears when it’s needed (and it’s needed).
Then peaceful. That is, immediately after noting wisdom is first of all pure, the next thing that should be said about it is that it’s peaceful. If God is training you, you are NOT expanding a list of friends you don’t talk to anymore or family members that you don’t call, nor are you causing chaos, unsettledness, unease, nor are you taunting other people’s religions or politics), nor are littering twitter or Facebook with your angry or censorious comments, nor are you on again/off again with your spouse, nor do you have nervous relationships with co-workers, clients.
But rather, as the God of peace forms wisdom in you he’ll fashion you as a peacemaker: your speech will be helpful and even bracing, your friends will find reasons as the years go by to trust you more and more, you’ll deal with people philosophically and so won’t be shocked or put off when you see people have bad days, do dumb things, say dumb things. Your business associates will have a good feeling when they do business with you. You’ll never gossip. Even your enemies (who are your enemies not because they find you annoying but because you’re intractable about a few truths) will offer you a grudging respect.
First pure, then peaceable. First pure, then peaceable.
We can run through the remaining. Gentle. Here’s what could happen – we are Christians and know broadly what the right thing is to do. What needs to happen. What should be built. And so…we go to it, pronto. With guns blazing. Axes wildly swinging. Blunt instruments hammering. Lecturing loudly.
And instead of detailed arguments, we hammer with slogans. Instead of humbling ourselves to the details of explanation, instruction, strategizing, thinking through steps, collecting numerous bids, following procedures, taking deep breaths, biting our tongues, reading the instructions, biding our time, sharpening our thinking, doing our homework, spacing things out…
we hammer, cram, shout, posture, rush, overstep, rush, rush rush.
Patience! Details! Processes! This is the stuff of gentleness, the stuff of heavenly wisdom.
Open to reason – Here’s what could happen. We know that Christians should be principled. Not people pleasers. But we could see this easily morphing into a kind of pride. What kind of pride? The kind that forgets that Heaven trains us into flexibility. The grace of flexibility, so that when things don’t go your way, when the vote is taken and you’re in the minority – you are open to the possibility that this way you didn’t choose might be the better way. Or if not perhaps the better way at least you’re not going to stew about it.
I’m a fan of the patriarchy – I encourage dads and husbands to be strong leaders. But not the kind of strong leader who stubbornly insists on a bad decision because it’s the one he’s made. No, he has an opinion but is able to be talked down from it. He should be able to see that sometimes…perhaps often… he’s not the best one to form this or that opinion… and can leave that to others. He’s not a micromanager, not a let’s-walk-on-eggshells-around-dad-and-certainly-don’t-disagree-with-him leader.
Full of mercy and good fruits – This is kinda repeat from our first point with some valuable add-ins. The repeat: wisdom from above shows itself in good conduct. Anything that falls short of good behavior. isn’t under the tutelage, isn’t done in the meekness of wisdom.
The add-ins: full of mercy. Most of the time we aren’t dealing with people in the categories of friends and enemies. But rather: I enjoy being around this person…but then this person annoys me, this person frustrates me, this person sucks the energy out of me.
One who’s been trained by God in wisdom has spent much time next to God whose rain falls on the just and the unjust, the cool and the annoying. And so, in turn, he has a generous way with everyone. He doesn’t return annoying behavior with frigidity, avoidance, little political calculations, inward despising. Rather, he’s full of mercy. He minimizes people’s foibles. He enjoys the loafers and the censorious. He likes people.
Yet with all this generous disposition toward fellow sinners, a type of tolerance, a lack of his own censoriousness…the man of true wisdom is still getting things done. He’s full of mercy and good fruits. Someone who knows that he’s in trouble doesn’t so much want sympathy as practicalities that will change his situation. But some people are locked so tightly into being empathetic and non-judgmental that they’re never able to get around to actually being a help….they just wanna keep telling you how they’re no better than you.
Impartial – It is earthly wisdom to be guided by something other than justice. For honesty not to be your policy. This can occur formally and informally. Formally, like when the contractor keeps postponing this customer because he is trying to keep his bigger contracts happy. Or the teacher favors this student because she knows her parents personally and wants them to continue to like her. Informally like when you don’t put in the energy to talking to this person at the Christmas party because he can’t raise your social credit. But around this big dog you break out the eye contact, the follow up questions. Or, more subtly, you reach out to the boring or powerless because you like how you feel about yourself afterward.
It’s hard to not be ultimately driven by political expediency, self… and instead live in the truth. To land on that sweet spot of loving God above all; viewing every person as made in the image of God; yet not being a people pleaser, an ear-tickler, a flatterer; showing respect to leaders without toadying up to them; courageously making unpopular decisions without stiffening into a posture of constant contrarianism; building your own house while cheering on others building their house; not bending the truth to create a certain result; not exaggerating points to be novel, interesting; not currying favor with the powerful yet also not enviously tearing down those who are more powerful, more talented. What I’m saying is that it’s spiritual work to be around pretty much any person at any time. Impartiality sounds good but it’s hard to pull off.
Sincere – A husband who – wait for it – husbands. That is, you are doing your darndest to create conditions and add ingredients so that the best is brought out of your wife, that holiness radiates from her. (Let us take care how we hear that word, holiness.)
Anyway, that’s an example of sincerity: you’re fulfilling what you are. Member of Christ’s body. Citizen. Sister. Animal owner. Well…you don’t just have the titles but you’re doing the requisite work.
You could be an dog owner who has bumper stickers about how much your dog means to you…and when you think of your Rin Tin Tin your heart turns to mush and your eyes fill with tears…yet you’d be insincere if the dog never gets exercise, is never mentally stimulated, isn’t trained so that it can experience more etc.
I can be a pastor who is expanding my social media influence and regularly weighing in on Christian nationalism and Nick Fuentes and the Gaza situation while minimizing things get closer to home: caring little about the fact that so-and-so fell down this week, or the Iron Fox hasn’t been able to open due to onerous permit policies etc. And so even while I’m busy and have adapted some Christian positions, I’m insincere in that I’ve gotten too big for my britches.
To be sincere is not a feeling that is felt or to pull off an authentic vibe of wearing a knit hat atop a half-shaven face while listening to folk music, but accepting a set of practices – including accepting limitations – that align with your actual roles and responsibilities. The wisdom of God pulls you down from the lofty and sets you before the detailed tasks that belong to you. It makes you sincere.
And then the final verse. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Here we have a Jewish teaching technique: going through a list then at the end returning to one thing on the list that you want to emphasize. Such as in the Lord’s Prayer, when Jesus returns to the importance of forgiving others if God will forgive our sins. Here James returns to the importance of peace in the wisdom of God. The harvest of righteousness comes after the sowing of peace by peacemakers.
James has told us before: the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. If you are someone given to anger or known for his obstinacy, that is, if you’re not a person of peace – don’t expect deep righteousness to follow.
If you are someone whose financial practices are disorderly, or whose entertainment/screen habits disrupt your sleep and leave you groggy all the time, or who lives without margins of leisure and savings and such – that is, if you keep deciding away from peace, the roots of righteousness won’t be established. The way of wisdom is to take peace seriously.
Well, this is a passage that is almost entirely descriptive, not prescriptive. It tells us what true wisdom looks like and what it doesn’t; but doesn’t tell us much about how to arrive to it. Well, not every passage can contain everything. And also… we do get hints about how to gain wisdom in words like “fruits,” “harvest,” ‘sown.” These aren’t words of technique but of Life. So, Church, find and plug into Life. Abide in the Vine. Let Christ’s words live richly in you and your answering word – prayer – ascend up to him. Live in communication with Jesus Christ; do that over and over; and wisdom – the real, good stuff that is first pure then peaceable – is on the way.
AMEN
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