I would like to have you turn to the book of James. Martin Luther
called this little letter "a right strawy epistle."
But with all respect to him I believe the book is a right substantial
epistle. The theme of this book is genuine, honest faith. As far
as James is concerned, honesty is not the best policy; it's the
only policy. The book of James is basically a cry of outrage against
hypocrisy. James speaks against some of the great social ills
of his day and ours -- racism and oppression and warmongering.
But he also speaks out against the secret sins that we all cherish,
the sins that we cover up and are never quite willing to judge
and put away, the inner sins of pride and defensiveness and jealousy.
I get the very uncomfortable feeling when I read through this
book that James has been reading my mail, or worse yet, my mind.
He puts his finger on some areas that really hurt. There are 54
imperatives in the 108 verses of this book. James believes that
the Word is something to obey.
Today let's look at the first paragraph, verses 1 through 8. Verse
1 is a brief introduction:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the dispersion: Greeting.
It is not clear from the letter
itself who the author is, except that his name is James. There
are a number of men in the New Testament who bore that name. There
were two apostles -- James the son of Alphaeus and James the son
of Zebedee -- who are well known to us since they were part of
the apostolic band. But we are quite sure that neither of these
men wrote this book. There was another James, James the son of
Joseph and Mary, who was the half-brother of Jesus and the leader
of the early church in Jerusalem. I believe it is this James who
is the author.
I wonder if you have ever thought what it must have been like
to have Jesus as an older brother. We know from the Scriptures
that he developed as a normal child. He grew intellectually, socially,
physically, and spiritually. He was like any other child, with
one very crucial exception: he never sinned. And you can imagine
what it would be like to have an older brother who never sinned.
Jesus always did what his mother told him -- the first time. He
always picked up his socks. He always washed the ring out of the
bathtub. He did everything right, and I'm sure that, inadvertently,
Mary must have favored him, because she knew who he was. It must
have been very difficult for her not to have a very special feeling
for this boy.
I think the consequence is predictable. His brothers and sisters
began to resent him. They did not believe in him. In fact, they
thought he was insane and on one occasion tried forcibly to take
him and put him
away. He was a constant source of embarrassment to the family.
He was always saying things that put them on the spot, and they
grew up to despise him. But in the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians
Paul refers to the resurrection of Jesus and recounts the appearances
of Jesus to various individuals. He appeared to Cepheus (i.e.,
Peter), and then to 500 brethren at one time, and then he appeared
to James. I think this must have been a very emotional
meeting, for when James saw the risen Jesus he realized that he
had lived all of his life with the Lord of glory. He realized
personally what the name Emmanuel meant: God with us.
The introduction to this letter is very significant. If I were
writing it, this would be a great opportunity to do a bit of cosmic
name dropping: "James, the brother of Jesus." That would
have been very impressive. But not to James. Because he realized
that his unique relationship to Jesus came through supernatural
descent, not through any natural descent. It wasn't his relationship
to Jesus through Mary that counted; it was the relationship that
he sustained after Jesus became Lord in his life.
We know something about James from early church historians. We
know they called him James the Just, which gives us some indication
of his character. They called him "Camel-knees," because
he had acquired heavy calluses on his knees from hours in prayer.
He has a great deal to say about prayer in this book. He was martyred
by being thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and his body
was stoned beyond recognition. He gave up his life for what he
believed. One indication of the strength of a man's belief is
whether or not he is willing to die for it.
Then we have a word about the recipients of this letter:
"To the twelve tribes in the dispersion."
The 12 tribes are the 12 tribes
of Israel. James is a thoroughly Jewish book. These are Christian
Jews to whom he is writing, who were dispersed throughout the
world. The Greek word "diaspora" means "to sow
throughout." These were Jews God had sown throughout the
world as the result of many scatterings and captivities and persecutions.
These people had received Jesus as their Messiah. Perhaps Jews
who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost had spread the gospel
to them. And now James is writing to them to encourage them and
instruct them.
These were people who were suffering. This is a constant note
throughout the book. They were suffering because they were Christians.
Businessmen had lost their jobs, and their shops were being boycotted.
Young people had been thrown out of their homes. Children were
mocked and turned out of the Jewish schools. They were hated and
despised. The Gentiles hated them because they were Jews, and
the Jews hated them be cause they were Christians. They had no
place to go. Life was indeed grim.
The third aspect of the introduction is a brief salutation: "Greeting."
But "greeting" is a very poor translation of the Greek
term. The word is not "greeting" but "Rejoice!"
"Be satisfied!" What a strange word to address to these
persecuted people. How could they rejoice in their present circumstances?
Well, James answers that question in the next paragraph.
There is one problem that those of us who work on college campuses
face, over and over again. It is the problem of the justice of
God: "Why do the innocent suffer?" James picks up this
issue immediately, because it is one that was on the minds of
these people as well. The problem of suffering was not a theoretical
problem to them. They were suffering, and they needed to know
what relationship this had to their Christian life. James does
not provide a complete explanation to the dilemma but he does
tell them how they can utilize suffering in their lives. James
writes,
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Now there are at least two things
that James says about suffering in this paragraph. The first is
that suffering is inevitable. He does not say, "Count
it all joy, my brethren, if you meet trials," he says, "Count
it all joy when you meet trials." Trials are not optional.
Peter writes, "Don't think it strange concerning the fiery
trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened
unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's
sufferings; so that when he is revealed in his glory you will
be revealed also." Suffering is a normal part of the process
God uses to bring us to glory. It is not something strange. Christians
will suffer. We must not ignore the inevitability of that suffering.
Recently I heard a story of a man who was riding on a subway.
It was quite crowded and he had to face the door. He was prone
to motion sickness and he began to get quite sick. The train raced
into the station, the door opened, and the man became violently
ill. The doors closed and the train sped on into the night. There
happened to be a man standing on the platform waiting to get on
the train at this particular door. In utter dismay he turned to
the man behind him in line and said, "Why me?" I think
that is sometimes the way we feel. "Why me, Lord?" But
we shouldn't be surprised. Suffering is no accident. It is the
normal experience of every believer.
James writes, "Count it all joy when you meet various
trials . . . " The word translated "various" comes
from the Greek word on which our word "polka dot" is
based. It means variegated or diversified. The point seems to
be that we suffer in different ways. But everyone suffers in some
way. That is the first thing James wants us to know. Suffering
is inevitable. Don't be surprised when it comes.
The second thing he says is that suffering is purposeful: "
. . . for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking in nothing." The process begins with
suffering, which leads to steadfastness or endurance and this
results in a perfect and complete man. The word "perfect"
means mature; the word "complete" refers to all our
component parts. God's goal is to make you perfect and complete,
mature in every part, lacking in nothing. What a strong expression
-- lacking nothing! God wants you to be a complete person who
is able to face any situation. God's desire is to fulfill you
now, to give you every resource that you need in order to live
the kind of life for which you are looking. He wants to make you
mature and complete. And there is only one way he can get you
there: through the route of suffering. Suffering will drive you
to God, or it will drive you to despair. If it drives you to God,
and you lay hold of his resources, then he makes his power available
to you and you are able to endure.
The Greek word used for "endurance" is the word "hupomone,"
meaning to remain under, to hang in there, to persevere in any
situation. Vince Lombardi had a plaque on the wall of the Packers
dressing room: "When the going gets tough, the tough get
going." This is a description of God's man or woman. They
can be tough, they can stand fast, they can endure, no matter
what the pressure may be. And when endurance has its perfect work,
i.e., if we continue to endure, then God begins to round us out
and fulfill us and complete us.
God looks at your life and mine, and he sees inadequacies and
areas of disconformity to Jesus Christ. So he moves to complete
us in those areas. And he does so by bringing suffering into the
very area that he wants to build. Suppose he sees lovelessness
there. Do you know what he will do? He will bring you into contact
with the most irascible, unloving, difficult person you ever met.
And you will learn to love him by counting on Jesus Christ. Or
suppose there is an area of defensiveness, or maybe there is jealousy,
or an unforgiving spirit. He will bring something into your life
that will reveal what you're really like, and you'll need to lay
hold of the resources of Jesus Christ. By so doing you will become
mature in that area. And so the Lord will go right through your
life from A to Z, and he will mature you in every area.
The only thing that impairs the process is our refusal to yield.
If we do not allow endurance to have its perfect work, if we resist
and struggle against God, then he can't achieve his desired end
and we fail to mature. You see, Jesus wants to make us into good
wine. So he takes the grape and squeezes it between his fingers.
And if we be come unyielding and resist his fingers, then he cannot
do his work. But if we yield, he makes us sweet wine.
The problem is that we do not like the fingers that God uses.
Do you realize that the people who are squeezing you right now,
the circumstances that are pressing in on you, are the fingers
of God? They are simply extensions of the hand of God. That is
why Peter says, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of
God, that he may exalt you in due time." God is behind those
fingers. The suffering you are experiencing now was determined
from eternity to perfect you. And so James says, "If you
let steadfastness have its full effect, you will be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing."
That expression is so encouraging to me. Lacking in nothing.
The Bible tells us that strength comes out of weakness. When you
learn to yield to suffering and accept your weakness and
allow Christ to have his way in your life, then you are strong;
but it is only when you are weak that you can learn this principle,
and you can become a mature, complete individual, lacking nothing.
James now begins to consider some of the things that impede this
process in our life. The first of these impediments is found in
verses 5 through 8. If you have a Revised Standard Version it
appears that these verses have no connection with the preceding
paragraph. But in the Greek verse 5 starts with a connecting word
which should be translated "But." James says,
[But] if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
We have all counted upon this
passage at times when we have needed wisdom. We discover that
God gives wisdom with no strings attached, as he promises here.
He is the God who gives, and he delights to pour out his wisdom.
He gives it abundantly and fully. We've learned to count on this
verse in that way. But that is not the primary application of
the verse. The basic application is to times of suffering. When
you suffer and don't know what to do--ask God, and he will give
you wisdom.
Wisdom is applied knowledge; it is knowledge put to use. Many
of us know the principle that is spelled out in verses
2, 3, and 4. We know that suffering comes to perfect us. But how
do we put that knowledge into practice in a specific situation
of suffering? What do we do? Do we stay where we are, do we move
elsewhere, do we look for release, or do we expect God to fulfill
us where we are? What do we do? "Well," James says,
"in a situation like that, ask God. He will let you know
what to do. He will let you know how to react in that particular
situation. He will not fail you."
But there is one proviso: we must ask in faith. Now, James is
not talking about the initial faith that places us in Christ,
or even the faith that sustains our relationship with Christ.
To James, faith is utter abandonment to the will of God. James
is saying that we can have wisdom if we are willing to do anything
that God wants us to do. If we are willing to stay in that hard
place, if we are willing to go, if we are willing to lose our
job, if we are willing to give up our girl friend or our boyfriend,
if we are willing to let our child go, if we're willing to do
anything God wants, then he will give us wisdom. He will let us
know what to do.
But if we are double-minded, if we want what God wants . . . but
we also want what we want, then, says James, "Let
not that man think he'll receive anything from the Lord."
To restate the principle: the basis on which God gives his wisdom
is our willingness to do anything that God tells us to do. If
we abandon ourselves to his will, James says, God will give us
his wisdom. Do you see that?
I've learned one aspect of this truth recently. Some time ago
one of my Christian brothers, who really loves me, came to me
and told me about a problem in my life. He told me that I appear
to be afraid to look foolish. He began to cite some examples in
my campus ministry. And he was right. He really skewered me. And
I saw it. I'm willing to do anything except look like a fool.
I hate to look like a fool. I don't mind if people disagree with
me, but it kills me when they laugh at me and I look foolish.
I wasn't willing to be what Paul says the apostles were
-- the off-scouring of all the world, the garbage of the world.
That offends me. I don't like to look like a fool.
Monday morning I walked onto the campus and there was a front
page spread in the Stanford Daily on our college ministry at Stanford.
I had spent about an hour with one of the men on the editorial
staff of The Daily two weeks earlier, telling him about our program.
I was very careful about how I said things, and I went away from
the interview convinced that he was going to write that article
well. But when it appeared, the article ripped us to shreds. They
misquoted me, and I looked like a fool. People all over the campus
were laughing, and I knew they were.
My first thought was,"I'm going to write a letter to the
editor, and I'm going to defend myself." And God said, "No,
you aren't." Then I thought, "Well, I'll write a letter
to all the brothers and sisters on the campus." And God said,
"No, you won't." And for a week I squirmed. We went
in to see the Dean of the Chapel on Wednesday, and I blew it again.
And the man who was with me very lovingly pointed out, again,
that I was still trying to look good. I was defending myself.
Finally I had to come to the place where I was willing to say,
"Okay, God. I'll look like a fool." And it is only by
the grace of God that I can say that. But I'm willing now to look
foolish. And you know, the result of this decision is a tremendous
sense of release and peace over this issue. I can genuinely do
what James says. I can rejoice in suffering, because I know that
God is dealing with an area of my life that needs to be corrected,
and I'm willing now to let God do whatever he wants.
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for your Word that cuts so cleanly and speaks so pointedly to our need. It will not let us get away with shoddiness and indifference, but deals with us in every area of our life. We thank you for this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Catalog #047l
Series: A Belief That Behaves
Message #1
April 25, 1971
David H. Roper
Updated
Copyright (C) 1995 Discovery Publishing,
a ministry of Peninsula Bible Church.
This data file is the sole property of Discovery Publishing, a
ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. It may be copied only in its
entirety for circulation freely without charge. All copies of
this data file must contain the above copyright notice. This data
file may not be copied in part, edited, revised, copied for resale
or incorporated in any commercial publications, recordings, broadcasts,
performances, displays or other products offered for sale, without
the written permission of Discovery Publishing. Requests for permission
should be made in writing and addressed to Discovery Publishing,
3505 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA. 94306-3695.