Last Bible Study we wrestled with the idea that we can't control our tongues. Well, actually, we weren't inclined to wrestle with it very much, we all came ready to pretty much confess! But as James' illustration showed us, a fountain can't spout fresh and salty water. So if, by implication, a fountain is salty, how would you control the water spouting from it? You would clean out the fountain! You would figure out where that salt is coming from and get rid of it. But the key is the source, not the fountain itself.
We all probably spent the last two weeks struggling with that. Convicted. Trying to do better. I just tried to keep my mouth SHUT as much as possible, with varying degrees of success.
I think Chapter 4 will continue to help us with our tongues, and their polluted source, our hearts.
James gets right to the point. "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" NASB says, "What is the source?" Where does fighting, [individual squabbles], and quarreling, [disagreement between groups], come from?
The answer is, from our self. We will look at what chapter 4 teaches us about prayer, but I don't think James is teaching that we ask for the wrong things in the the wrong way. Once again, our source is polluted. We ask out of our self. Not things for ourself. Self.
Remember the earthy wisdom in chapter 3? It was envy and selfish ambition. But I don't think James has been talking about selfish as e.g. I want the biggest cupcake. He's talking about Self as the reason we're living.Self as the source of all that we do.
Why else would he give us the clear choice in verses 4-5, friend of the World or friend of God? I'm not sure we think rightly about the World. We often think of worldly, one of those Christianese words, as having something to do with our dress or our style, or music or TV or the kind of house or job we have. John clearly describes what the World is. "Do not love the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for everything in the world...
the cravings of sinful man,
the lusting of his eyes,
the boasting of what he has and does,
comes not from the father but from the World. " 1 John 2:15,16
The world system is the place where we live, and since we've grown up here, it's the way we think. We think it's about us. Self.
But it isn't: it's totally about God.
See how those ideas are in conflict. We can't live both ways. No, I mean we can't, it isn't possible. We have to make a choice. Live for self or live for God.
If that's the true meaning of this passage, then we have to look at the source again, and the way we ask "amiss" when we pray.
This is way too long. Time to quit. But verses 7-10 are so interesting in the way they are written. Wow. It's like poetry, totally making a point through even the physical construction of the sentences. I hope we get that far.
And as for verses 13 to the end? Well, it's a continuation of the futility of living for self, as in ""Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow." Isn't THAT a great line. And it totally ties in to chapter 5, so if we don't make it that far Tuesday I'm not going to worry about it.
I hope you're all ready to dig in again. We (I) have a lot to learn!
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Consider the source
James introduced the idea of the tongue in 1:26. "If anyone considers himself religious and does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."
It seems that we've fallen into the pit of despair when he approaches the topic in chapter 3. But there are some clues to what he is thinking.
Someone with a worthwhile religion WOULD keep a tight rein on his tongue. hm... worthwhile.
Someone who can't keep a lid on it is deceived. Doesn't that mean he CAN keep a lid on....?
But the best clues are in James' illustrations. He gives three in chapter 3: a fountain, a fig tree and a grapevine. The clue in each of those illustration is that they produce exactly what they are. A fresh stream produces fresh water. Salty water sends out a salty stream of water. Figs produce figs. Grapevines produce grapes.
So the place where we can be deceived seems to be the place where we consider ourselves religions, but don't act like it [sounds familiar, doesn't it?] by speaking as one would expect as a religions person.
That's why I wanted to read to the end of the chapter. Verses 13-18 clarify the source of our less than religious speech. Our hearts harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition. Whoa... that sounds pretty nasty. Yet Jesus brings up this idea several times in the gospels; e.g. Luke 6:45. "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his moth speaks."
So even though controlling the tongue is impossible, we aren't without hope. A change of heart will produce a change of attitude and a change of words. We don't have to harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition. We can have God's own wisdom. Remember 1:5 said we should ask God, "who gives [wisdom] generously to all without finding fault..."
3:17 shows how that wisdom changes our heart. First of all it is pure. It is undivided; not double minded. It has only one desire, which is submission to God. [More on that in chapter 4!] Listen to the description of the heart of wisdom. It's peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Wow. Imagine the words that would come from that heart. And what a blessed promise: "peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
There's no way to control the tongue? Thank God there is a way to control the source, a changed heart, filled with the Spirit and wisdom from God.
Everyone did such an amazing job of sharing verses related to changing. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Matthew 15. Philippians 4:8. I should have jotted them all down.
I hope everyone went away encouraged [because it was certainly clear everyone was very discouraged when we started out!!!] The Second Corinthians passage is so clear; even though we live in the world, we don't wage war as the world does. We don't only have the world's tools. Positive self-talk. I sentences. Counting to ten. I'm not saying those aren't useful tools and good habits, but God can change our hearts! And that is the source of all the crap coming out of our mouths.
Don't give up! We're going to be talking about this a lot more next week. [Two weeks, sorry. We have a break next week. Coffee? } 4:1 says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" What's the source. Yep. We're going to keep talking about this.
I like to pick a verse from each book that hints at why the book is written. Although it is not one of the verses I had originally even considered, I'm thinking more and more of 2:12. "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom." Paul said in Ephesians to walk in a manor worthy of your calling. Peter said to grow up into your salvation. Jesus himself said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.'
The bar for our words and actions are very high. But the source of both our words and actions is our changed, Spirit filled heart. We are Christians. We can live like Christians.
It seems that we've fallen into the pit of despair when he approaches the topic in chapter 3. But there are some clues to what he is thinking.
Someone with a worthwhile religion WOULD keep a tight rein on his tongue. hm... worthwhile.
Someone who can't keep a lid on it is deceived. Doesn't that mean he CAN keep a lid on....?
But the best clues are in James' illustrations. He gives three in chapter 3: a fountain, a fig tree and a grapevine. The clue in each of those illustration is that they produce exactly what they are. A fresh stream produces fresh water. Salty water sends out a salty stream of water. Figs produce figs. Grapevines produce grapes.
So the place where we can be deceived seems to be the place where we consider ourselves religions, but don't act like it [sounds familiar, doesn't it?] by speaking as one would expect as a religions person.
That's why I wanted to read to the end of the chapter. Verses 13-18 clarify the source of our less than religious speech. Our hearts harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition. Whoa... that sounds pretty nasty. Yet Jesus brings up this idea several times in the gospels; e.g. Luke 6:45. "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his moth speaks."
So even though controlling the tongue is impossible, we aren't without hope. A change of heart will produce a change of attitude and a change of words. We don't have to harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition. We can have God's own wisdom. Remember 1:5 said we should ask God, "who gives [wisdom] generously to all without finding fault..."
3:17 shows how that wisdom changes our heart. First of all it is pure. It is undivided; not double minded. It has only one desire, which is submission to God. [More on that in chapter 4!] Listen to the description of the heart of wisdom. It's peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Wow. Imagine the words that would come from that heart. And what a blessed promise: "peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
There's no way to control the tongue? Thank God there is a way to control the source, a changed heart, filled with the Spirit and wisdom from God.
Everyone did such an amazing job of sharing verses related to changing. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6. Matthew 15. Philippians 4:8. I should have jotted them all down.
I hope everyone went away encouraged [because it was certainly clear everyone was very discouraged when we started out!!!] The Second Corinthians passage is so clear; even though we live in the world, we don't wage war as the world does. We don't only have the world's tools. Positive self-talk. I sentences. Counting to ten. I'm not saying those aren't useful tools and good habits, but God can change our hearts! And that is the source of all the crap coming out of our mouths.
Don't give up! We're going to be talking about this a lot more next week. [Two weeks, sorry. We have a break next week. Coffee? } 4:1 says, "What causes fights and quarrels among you?" What's the source. Yep. We're going to keep talking about this.
I like to pick a verse from each book that hints at why the book is written. Although it is not one of the verses I had originally even considered, I'm thinking more and more of 2:12. "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom." Paul said in Ephesians to walk in a manor worthy of your calling. Peter said to grow up into your salvation. Jesus himself said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.'
The bar for our words and actions are very high. But the source of both our words and actions is our changed, Spirit filled heart. We are Christians. We can live like Christians.
Monday, February 13, 2017
The dreaded tongue passage
OOPS! No post over the weekend. Well, we had a family Christmas, and you all know how stressful those things are: brothers!!!! That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
So a short post this morning. James certainly hits the mark when he says, "If anyone is never at fault in what she says, she is a perfect woman, able to keep her whole body in check." 3:2 But I hope we will be able to get beyond true confessions at Bible Study and find the source of the problem. [That's a clue.]
The key to understanding this passage is to look at the illustrations he uses. That's all!! See you tomorrow!
So a short post this morning. James certainly hits the mark when he says, "If anyone is never at fault in what she says, she is a perfect woman, able to keep her whole body in check." 3:2 But I hope we will be able to get beyond true confessions at Bible Study and find the source of the problem. [That's a clue.]
The key to understanding this passage is to look at the illustrations he uses. That's all!! See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
A ______ is a person in your neighborhood.
I had to pull out my Bible again yesterday evening and look at Luke 10. We had such a great discussion of it, but I still felt a little unsettled. We raised many of the issues regarding "favoritism", as James refers to treating some people as less/more important. We didn't solve many of them, which, really, is just the way it goes when you try to solve problems in the real world. They are complicated.
But I feel the need to summarize the principles that we pulled from Luke 10 and from Jesus' parable.
When the teacher of the law asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he said it to justify himself. He wasn't concerned about whether Jesus was talking about refugees from Rome or the Roman soldiers patrolling the streets or the sleazy traders in the market place. [I made all those people up...don't try to place any of them in history.] He asked the question because he knew in the cool grayness of his heart he really didn't care about his neighbor.
Jesus was a master storyteller. In 5 verses he covers so many of the complexities of the issue. The priest and Levite, who would be disqualified from their important religious duties if the became unclean. The ever present bandits who could be hiding behind an olive grove ready to pounce on any bleeding heart liberal who stopped to help. The Samaritan, constant enemy of the Jews, whom he made the hero of the story.
Then, at the end, Jesus changed the question. We didn't talk about that in our discussion. The question changes from, who is my neighbor, a defense mechanism, to acted like and WAS a neighbor to the man in need.
The man got it: "The one who had mercy on him," the expert in the law said.[vs 37]
"Jesus told him, [and tells us] "Go and do likewise."
* * * * * * * *
Mercy is one of the main themes of James 2. We, who have broken the greatest commandments, 1 and 2, many times, have been shown mercy. We live in the proverbial glass house. We cannot throw stones. Mercy triumphs over judgement.
It probably was surprising to many of us how that discussion in 2:1-13 informed the rest of the chapter. Often the following section of chapter two is taken as stand alone verses which argue about which is more important, works or faith. We seemed to see the argument more about a separation between what we say and what we do. Verses 14-17 clearly introduce the section along that vein. What could be more clear than this illustration? If someone is cold and you say, "I wish you the best, be warm," what real uses is that?
Who knew faith was supposed to be useful? Isn't it about me? I know I'm saved. I have a relationship with God. I can pray for what I need. I'm going to heaven when I die.
Apparently faith is not only about our relationship with God. I think it's significant that when James quotes the greatest commandment, he skips right over #1, love the Lord your God with all your heart..... to #2, love your neighbor. James is not concerned in this letter with his brothers' relationship with God. He's concerned with the way they are living in their neighborhood. #1 should be followed by #2, but that was not the case. God chose us to give us a new birth through the word of truth, "that we might be a kind of first fruits" [1:18] a new creation, a people like Christ.
Christ loved the poor. He loved the needy. He even loved the sinner.
I have to once again go back to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. "You are my light in the neighborhood." [vs 14, kind of] When people light a lamp, they put it on a stand so it gives light to the neighborhood. We are supposed to light up the neighborhood, so that "they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." [vs. 16]
I can't close without one more thought. We live in difficult times. We don't feel safe. One of the ironies in that is that for most of history, people have not felt safe. Another is that in many, many places, people are much more "not safe" than us. But it seems to me one of the things Jesus said about the end times is very relevant to this discussion, whether this is the end times or not.
In Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus about the end of days. One of the statements Jesus made seems to me so relevant to our lives in this very time and world we live in. 24:12 says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
I don't pretend to understand all that statement means, but I can see with my own eyes, and so can you, the desperate increase in wickedness causing the church to fear rather than love. I pray that is not us.
But I feel the need to summarize the principles that we pulled from Luke 10 and from Jesus' parable.
When the teacher of the law asked, "Who is my neighbor?" he said it to justify himself. He wasn't concerned about whether Jesus was talking about refugees from Rome or the Roman soldiers patrolling the streets or the sleazy traders in the market place. [I made all those people up...don't try to place any of them in history.] He asked the question because he knew in the cool grayness of his heart he really didn't care about his neighbor.
Jesus was a master storyteller. In 5 verses he covers so many of the complexities of the issue. The priest and Levite, who would be disqualified from their important religious duties if the became unclean. The ever present bandits who could be hiding behind an olive grove ready to pounce on any bleeding heart liberal who stopped to help. The Samaritan, constant enemy of the Jews, whom he made the hero of the story.
Then, at the end, Jesus changed the question. We didn't talk about that in our discussion. The question changes from, who is my neighbor, a defense mechanism, to acted like and WAS a neighbor to the man in need.
The man got it: "The one who had mercy on him," the expert in the law said.[vs 37]
"Jesus told him, [and tells us] "Go and do likewise."
* * * * * * * *
Mercy is one of the main themes of James 2. We, who have broken the greatest commandments, 1 and 2, many times, have been shown mercy. We live in the proverbial glass house. We cannot throw stones. Mercy triumphs over judgement.
It probably was surprising to many of us how that discussion in 2:1-13 informed the rest of the chapter. Often the following section of chapter two is taken as stand alone verses which argue about which is more important, works or faith. We seemed to see the argument more about a separation between what we say and what we do. Verses 14-17 clearly introduce the section along that vein. What could be more clear than this illustration? If someone is cold and you say, "I wish you the best, be warm," what real uses is that?
Who knew faith was supposed to be useful? Isn't it about me? I know I'm saved. I have a relationship with God. I can pray for what I need. I'm going to heaven when I die.
Apparently faith is not only about our relationship with God. I think it's significant that when James quotes the greatest commandment, he skips right over #1, love the Lord your God with all your heart..... to #2, love your neighbor. James is not concerned in this letter with his brothers' relationship with God. He's concerned with the way they are living in their neighborhood. #1 should be followed by #2, but that was not the case. God chose us to give us a new birth through the word of truth, "that we might be a kind of first fruits" [1:18] a new creation, a people like Christ.
Christ loved the poor. He loved the needy. He even loved the sinner.
I have to once again go back to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. "You are my light in the neighborhood." [vs 14, kind of] When people light a lamp, they put it on a stand so it gives light to the neighborhood. We are supposed to light up the neighborhood, so that "they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." [vs. 16]
I can't close without one more thought. We live in difficult times. We don't feel safe. One of the ironies in that is that for most of history, people have not felt safe. Another is that in many, many places, people are much more "not safe" than us. But it seems to me one of the things Jesus said about the end times is very relevant to this discussion, whether this is the end times or not.
In Matthew 24 the disciples asked Jesus about the end of days. One of the statements Jesus made seems to me so relevant to our lives in this very time and world we live in. 24:12 says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
I don't pretend to understand all that statement means, but I can see with my own eyes, and so can you, the desperate increase in wickedness causing the church to fear rather than love. I pray that is not us.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Who is my neighbor?
What is the greatest commandment? Jesus was asked that by Jewish teachers. He himself broached the subject in the sermon on the Mount [Matthew 7:12] and the Gospels each begin a discussion of the subject with that question; what is the greatest commandment? [Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10]
James uses the same word, greatest or superior, here translated royal, but skips to what Jesus refers to as the "second", which is to love your neighbor. [Aside: that's probably as good an indication as any that James is not written about our relationship to God, but our relationships.]
Everything in the minute detail of the Law and the Torah strives to accomplish this one superior law; love your neighbor as yourself. Seems straightforward enough. But it turns out in the 21st Century we still have the same problem the expert in the law had in Luke 10. Who is my neighbor? Luke says this expert asked the question to justify himself. Probably we do too.
If you have time, look at Jesus answer to "who is my neighbor?" in Luke 10.
James uses an interesting word "play" involving the word law. In verse 8, he mentions the royal law, in verse 10 the whole law, and in verse 12 the law that gives freedom. Those are three different things, I think. The law that gives freedom appears to contain mercy, although the positioning of judgement and mercy in the text seems to contradict itself. I hope we will have time to discuss that, too.
James uses the same word, greatest or superior, here translated royal, but skips to what Jesus refers to as the "second", which is to love your neighbor. [Aside: that's probably as good an indication as any that James is not written about our relationship to God, but our relationships.]
Everything in the minute detail of the Law and the Torah strives to accomplish this one superior law; love your neighbor as yourself. Seems straightforward enough. But it turns out in the 21st Century we still have the same problem the expert in the law had in Luke 10. Who is my neighbor? Luke says this expert asked the question to justify himself. Probably we do too.
If you have time, look at Jesus answer to "who is my neighbor?" in Luke 10.
James uses an interesting word "play" involving the word law. In verse 8, he mentions the royal law, in verse 10 the whole law, and in verse 12 the law that gives freedom. Those are three different things, I think. The law that gives freedom appears to contain mercy, although the positioning of judgement and mercy in the text seems to contradict itself. I hope we will have time to discuss that, too.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
You people are really fun to discuss the word with.
I had a great time Tuesday and the hour just by. So many ideas clarify themselves in my mind when I TALK with someone and hear what they have to say and ask, "What about this....?" and hear many answers. I love Bible Studies.
Tuesday we looked just very quickly at the ten or a dozen ideas James introduces in Chapter 1. There are some big ideas, [trials, wisdom, religion] and there are some very current topics [discrimination, moral purity].
I think the most important discussion we had Tuesday related to the difference between trials and temptation. Those two words appear to mean very different things to James. Trials come in a variety of sizes and colors, but all can produce, if you keep your stick on the ice, maturity and completeness. They can turn out to be, if not the best thing that every happened to you, at least very useful for growing in Christ.
Temptations, on the other hand, lead to death. When you are dragged away and enticed by your own evil desires, sin is born, and when it is "full grown , gives birth to death." Pretty graphic. Poor little fishy gets sucked in by that sparkly green twister and winds up someone's dinner. Except James is talking about us facing temptation. Holy cow.
Notice this powerful enemy, temptation, does not come from God. He is immune to evil. Unfortunately, it's in us, even as forgiven Christians, and we have to deal with it. Paul taught that we're dead to sin. But here we read the heart is deceitful above all else. So don't be deceived, James says in 1:16. God has given you an amazing gift. "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created."
Jesus is called the first fruit among many brethren [although I haven't found the reference yet!) and those brethren are us. We can live like him. In fact, that's what James is writing about. He's concerned about turning a sinner from the error of his ways. [5:20]. He says if we persevere we will be "mature and complete, not lacking anything" [1:4].
And already in this first chapter we have two keys to living that way. The first is asking God for wisdom. We're going to talk more about wisdom and I think it will be really life changing. The second, at the end of chapter one is the Word. But James doesn't focus on reading the Word. He says we have to DO the word; three times in 22 and 23 by Jenn's count. And there it is again in 25. "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it [two more times] ---he will be blesses in what he does.
What an amazing encouragement as we get together to study and discuss that powerful Word! We are bound to be blessed.
Tuesday we looked just very quickly at the ten or a dozen ideas James introduces in Chapter 1. There are some big ideas, [trials, wisdom, religion] and there are some very current topics [discrimination, moral purity].
I think the most important discussion we had Tuesday related to the difference between trials and temptation. Those two words appear to mean very different things to James. Trials come in a variety of sizes and colors, but all can produce, if you keep your stick on the ice, maturity and completeness. They can turn out to be, if not the best thing that every happened to you, at least very useful for growing in Christ.
Temptations, on the other hand, lead to death. When you are dragged away and enticed by your own evil desires, sin is born, and when it is "full grown , gives birth to death." Pretty graphic. Poor little fishy gets sucked in by that sparkly green twister and winds up someone's dinner. Except James is talking about us facing temptation. Holy cow.
Notice this powerful enemy, temptation, does not come from God. He is immune to evil. Unfortunately, it's in us, even as forgiven Christians, and we have to deal with it. Paul taught that we're dead to sin. But here we read the heart is deceitful above all else. So don't be deceived, James says in 1:16. God has given you an amazing gift. "He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created."
Jesus is called the first fruit among many brethren [although I haven't found the reference yet!) and those brethren are us. We can live like him. In fact, that's what James is writing about. He's concerned about turning a sinner from the error of his ways. [5:20]. He says if we persevere we will be "mature and complete, not lacking anything" [1:4].
And already in this first chapter we have two keys to living that way. The first is asking God for wisdom. We're going to talk more about wisdom and I think it will be really life changing. The second, at the end of chapter one is the Word. But James doesn't focus on reading the Word. He says we have to DO the word; three times in 22 and 23 by Jenn's count. And there it is again in 25. "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it [two more times] ---he will be blesses in what he does.
What an amazing encouragement as we get together to study and discuss that powerful Word! We are bound to be blessed.
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