Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and
understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with
gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and
selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15
Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual,
devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there
will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But 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. 18 And
a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Friendship with the
World
4
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not
come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You 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. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you
ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
Year B
September 18-24
September 20, 2015
Cross~Wind UMC
Title: Superpowers?
Going deeper
James 3:13-4:3 (NRSV)
Two Kinds
of Wisdom
[James 3:13-18
has the theme of true wisdom. The
wisdom of which the author speaks builds up the Christian community rather than
singles out individuals for envied attention, and nurturing Christian
communities was the overriding concern of the entire epistle. It is evident to
many scholars that the epistle of James owes much of its style and focus to
Jewish wisdom tradition. In fact, some would term James not as an epistle so
much as a unique form of Christian wisdom literature. James' affinity for
wisdom sayings and emphasis on the role of wisdom in the Christian life is
certainly evident in today's text. Not only is defining wisdom itself the
subject of the text, but James' advice focuses on everyday matters and
applications -- yet another sign of traditional wisdom literature. James' words on wisdom are directed toward
those who would be teachers in the Christian community -- those whose trade was
in their correct grasp of knowledge. At the very outset of his words to
teachers, James cautions that few could qualify, few could meet the strict requirements
demanded (James 3:1). The circumstances in which believers might feel deficient in wisdom
are specific: “whenever you face trials of any kind” (1:2). The trials are not
historicized, but the prominence they receive in the epistle is one of the
grounds on which scholars base their dating of the work to a period when
persecution of the Christians had become a reality (such as Nero’s persecution
after the fire of Rome in 64). Wisdom is identified with adversity in the
opening words of the epistle, linking wisdom with how Christians are to
experience suffering. Here is an example of “Christian wisdom literature,” as
Sophia Law put it.] 13 Who is wise and understanding
among you? [This proves to
be a trick question, in a sense, a rhetorical device, such as the lawyer in
Luke 10:29 asking who is my neighbor, or the question of the crown in John
12:34, “Who is the Son of Man, and many other (Romans 8:31, I Corinthians 1:20,
where is the one who is wise. Paul goes on to discuss wisdom in that letter from a perspective
similar to the perspective found in the letter of James, namely, that “worldly”
wisdom and the wisdom which is from God are often antithetical, and the latter
is often incomprehensible to the former. Biblical
wisdom is never mere speculative thought or detached sophistry. Wisdom in the
biblical tradition is always the wisdom that is embedded thoroughly in the
practicalities of life, which includes, inevitably, an ethical dimension. The
purpose of wisdom is to learn how to understand the world in its deepest
aspects and, in so understanding, live in accordance with those aspects.)] Show
by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom[A
phrase found only here. The truly wise will reveal
this through good Christian behavior. According to both Proverbs (8:22-31) and
Job (28:25-28), wisdom was present with God at creation, and so is a part of
the elemental nature of reality. The knowledge imparted by wisdom, while all
encompassing, is not shallow, however, and the discovery of wisdom’s secrets
demands diligent application and long experience. Wisdom is the tree of life
(Proverbs 3:18), and those who depart from wisdom do so at their peril. When
Paul speaks of Christ as the “wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24), he hearkens
to the tradition of Jesus as the Word/Logos of God, present with God at the
beginning of creation, and instrumental in creation’s being (John 1:1). This
mediating role of wisdom between God and humankind is not without its
ambivalent qualities, as the story of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and
Evil makes clear (Genesis 3).] 14
But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not
be boastful and false to the truth.[Many of his readers go the direction of using wisdom to get success in
society.] 15 Such wisdom does
not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. [Earthly "wisdom"
is sensual, even "animalistic" --everything that is not spiritual.
Earthly "wisdom" is inspired by demons, devilish -- everything that
is not of God. James' conviction that
there is a discernable difference in spirit and origin between human wisdom and
"wisdom from above" is a concept drawn directly from rabbinic wisdom
literature. In that tradition, there are numerous references to wisdom or
teachings communicated directly to human beings by the angels of God. In a
wisdom commentary on Genesis, Rabbi Chiya states, "The wisdom from above
was in Adam more than in the supreme angels, and he knew all things"
(Zohar Yaluit Rubeni, fol.19). Likewise, the rabbis noted of Enoch "that
the angels were sent from heaven and taught him the wisdom that is from
above" (Zohar Chadesh, fol.35).] 16 For
where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and
wickedness of every kind.[Such wisdom is used to
spread anarchy.] 17
But 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. [One of the most telling
signs of genuine wisdom, James insists, is gentleness -- or what we might
better term "humility" or even "meekness." Wisdom is not
boastful about itself but serves others humbly. Humility is the essence of
humanity. Throughout James' discussion,
there runs an essential dichotomy between two worlds. Divinely inspired wisdom,
on the other hand, has no ulterior motives. It is "pure." As such, it
is known through its spread of peace, its gentle and yielding spirit, its
merciful nature and the tangibly good and fair results of its presence. The NT
does not take this view because it respects the state. The point is that the mind of the believer
not be filled with envy, bitterness, filth. James’ own gift for particularity
and practicality leads him to cite the positive traits of genuine wisdom that
come from above. The list of qualities reminds us of Paul’s list of the
qualities of love in I Corinthians 13.
Love is patient; love is
kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist
on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in
wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.
The connection between knowledge and right behavior
is clear. This heavenly wisdom is rooted in the tradition of wisdom as God’s
eternal companion, found in Proverbs (2:6; 8:22-31) and especially in the
Deuterocanonical literature.] 18And a harvest of righteousness
is sown in peace for those who make peace.[Righteousness
and peace are connected. The ultimate goal
of a Christian community is not to be "wise," but is to be so in
peace that all might live in righteousness. The “harvest of righteousness” that
is sown in peace for those who make peace (v. 18) occurs elsewhere only in the
Pauline epistles (II Corinthians 9:10; Philippians 1:11), suggesting that the
phrase may have been a well-known Pauline expression.
Friendship
with the World
[James 4:1-12 concerns disunity among
Christians. This text is a parenesis, or series of admonitions.] 4 Those conflicts and disputes among you,
where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war
within you? [Thus, he is saying that war fills the inner life of the
readers, so that what has erupted in open fighting.]2 You 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. [This may refer to Christian zealots involved in riots and
ended up creating martyrs among the people. Their efforts have not succeeded.
James then says they have these problems because they do not pray rightly.] You do not have, because you do not ask. 3
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend
what you get on your pleasures. [Thus, their prayer focuses on material
things. To “ask wrongly” is a phrase found only here, although Matthew 7:11 is
similar. The desire to receive in order to spend on one’s own pleasures is the
error. “Pleasures” or “passions” usually have a negative connotation.]
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you. 8
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. [We find the appropriate response to those who
have fallen victim of the false wisdom of the world. They are to submit to God,
resist the devil, draw near to God, cleanse their hands, and purify their
minds.]
Introduction
Today, I am reflecting on the
counter-intuitive values the letter of James teaches us.
I enjoy movies that make us think
differently about God. I think of Oh, God! George Burns portrayed a
cigar-chomping elderly God. Morgan Freeman played God in Bruce Almighty! In
that one, Jim Carrey actually receives divine powers for a while.
If I hear such movies rightly, we
would like it if God were actually to display, well, divine powers. John Denver
and Jim Carrey puzzled why God did not just step in fix everything.
So what would you do if you were
God for a week, or even a day?
If you could not be a full-blown
God with all of God’s powers, which powers would you like to have?
Suppose you could have one of two
super powers, the power of invisibility or the power of flight, which power
would you choose?
Would you rather fly free in the
sky like Superman, or would you rather be able to turn invisible like the comic
book superhero Susan Richards, known as The Invisible Woman of the Fantastic
Four? Yes, I like the comic book turned into movie superhero movies as well.
Whichever power you pick, you will
be the only person in the whole world to have that particular super power — and
you cannot choose both. It is one or the other, or none at all.
Now let us be clear: Invisibility
means the power to become transparent at will, including your clothing, but
anything you may pick up is visible. Flight means the power to fly at any
altitude within the earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 1,000 mph. You do not
get invulnerability. You do not get super strength.
So which do you choose: flight or
invisibility?
Now that you have your super power,
what do you do with it? “How will you handle the most powerful responsibility
in the universe?”
On NPR’s program This American
Life, John Hodgman conducted an informal, unscientific survey asking the
question: Which is better? Would you want the power of flight or the power of
invisibility? What he found surprised him. No matter which power people chose,
they used it in self-serving ways. Their plans were not often flashy or heroic.
In fact, they were almost never heroic, nor even simply kind.
Here is something that hardly
anyone ever mentioned in his interviews — “I will use my power to fight crime.”
No one seemed to care about crime or justice. Nobody wanted to work for peace —
personal, local or worldwide. No one tried to be merciful, or even just plain
helpful.
Hodgman wondered why no one wanted to take down organized
crime, bring hope to the hopeless, swear vengeance on the underworld. If only a
little bit.
One typical respondent, who had
chosen flight, commented,
“I don’t think I’d
want to spend a lot of my time using my power for good. I mean, if I don’t have
super strength and I’m not invulnerable it would be very dangerous. If you had
to rescue somebody from a burning building you might catch on fire. Just having
the power of flight, I don’t think it’s necessarily quite enough because you
don’t have the super strength. I’d still be weak when I got there. I don’t
fight crime now. I’d go to Paris, I suppose. I could be ‘Going to Paris Man.
“Going to Paris Man” is not a
superhero. However, his answer is telling. It might just be a representative
reaction of all of us, if we are honest. Right now, we might not have the
heart, or the wisdom, to do good. Right now, when possible, we might use our
super powers to orchestrate private gain for ourselves or wreak havoc on others
just for fun or vengeance.
Nobody interviewed on This American
Life took responsibility for others less fortunate than themselves by using
their super powers for the common good.
Helping the underdog, saving a
drowning kitten, beating up bad guys — nobody’s interested. It turns out most
people secretly, or even openly, have oodles of selfishness.
This is not a surprise. It is the
wisdom of the world.
However, here is a problem with the
entire idea of having a superpower.
Famed gunfighters in the Old West had a
problem. When you had a reputation for being the best, every two-bit punk
looking to make a name for himself would be gunning for you to prove that he
was, in fact, the best. It’s much the same with superheroes. Every would-be
galactic conqueror starts dispatching hordes of silly-looking rubber monsters
to try to take you out. It’s nothing personal; it’s just that, well, you’re an
icon of good and they are evil incarnate. So they have to.[1]
Application
Luke Timothy Johnson says that
James
"is addressing
members of the Christian community who gather in the name of Jesus and profess
the faith of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ, but whose attitudes and actions
are not yet fully in friendship with God." – Luke Timothy Johnson
Johnson is not condemning this congregation, but simply
recognizing that conversion does not remove the ambiguity of life and that
complete consistency "is not given by a first commitment. It is slowly and
painfully won through many conversions" (emphasis added). He also says,
"There is always
double-mindedness, even among those who truly want to be friends of God. The
wisdom from below is not easy to abandon or avoid, precisely because it is the
'way of the world,' inscribed not only in the language and literature of our
surrounding culture but also in our very hearts." – Luke Timothy Johnson
What to do? James is never one to
leave us without some practical advice.
You want to be Me Almighty? You
want to be truly wise and powerful? Here is what you do:
• Submit yourselves to God.
• Resist the devil.
• Draw near to God.
• Cleanse your hands.
• Purify your hearts.
• Lament and mourn and weep.
• Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy
into dejection.
• Humble yourselves before the Lord.
Conclusion
Unless our inner focus shifts from
the earthly to the spiritual, we will wreak greater havoc on ourselves and
others.
Without super powers, we are able
to do sufficient damage: We brag, we covet, we murder, we are hypocrites, we
quarrel, and we create conflicts.
With the gift of holy wisdom, we
can learn, even in our weaknesses, to live lives of mercy, purity, peacefulness
and gentleness, which is exactly what James tell us God wants for us and from
us.
Moreover, it is not just for one of
us. It is a gift to all of us. All of us are expected to be channels of
spiritual wisdom for our own greater good and for the good of those around
us.
All we have to do is ask.
So, if you could be God, what would
you do?
Who would you help?
How would you handle the most
powerful responsibility in the universe?
[1]
—R. Talsorian, “New powers & abilities,” Teenagers From Outer Space Web
Site, geocities.com/Area51/Shire/5109/Powers.html. Retrieved April 9, 2003 .
No comments:
Post a Comment