In my post a few days ago called, “Troubleshooter,” we noted the pattern that James follows in his writing: Problem – Analysis – Solution. The problem James sees is that God’s people are fighting and quarreling. They are adulterous people. They ask things of God and do not receive anything.
Why are people like this?
James’ analysis is that our desires battle within us. We covet things we cannot have. We fight and kill. We have the wrong motives. We are, in fact, enemies of God.
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James is rather blunt here. Sometimes when people are blunt, they stray into generalizations that are hurtful because they are not true. Is James’ statement entirely true?
Unfortunately, yes.
Jesus, James’ half-brother, makes the same point over and over again. In one example he says:
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5: 21-22a)
That is a very black and white statement. I have to confess I have been angry with a brother once or twice. (That may be a bit of an understatement.) Technically that means I am subject to judgment.
We are faced with the same choice every minute of every day: God or not God. If we choose God, we choose to put him above all else. We love him with all our heart, our soul and our mind. If we are not doing that, then we are choosing what James refers to as “the world.”
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Thank you for bearing with me as I wandered through this topical detour about anger. I have learned a lot. I hope you have picked up something valuable as well.
To review, we began with “Anger’s Cause” asking the question: Is it right to be angry? We answered that question with an, “It depends.” It depends on why a person is angry. Then we defined anger as a secondary emotion and described its origin this way:
“Anger is the feeling that results from an imbalance between our expectations and the situation we find ourselves in.”
You love those who hate you and hate those who love you.
Today’s passage is a bit odd for a theme verse. Joab, the king’s commander of the army, has just killed Absalom and saved the kingdom for David. Instead of thanks and praise, David rewards him with recriminations. Here is the passage in context:
“Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, ‘Today you have humiliated all your men, who have just saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and the lives of your wives and concubines. You love those who hate you and hate those who love you. You have made it clear today that the commanders and their men mean nothing to you. I see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead. Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the Lord that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall. This will be worse for you than all the calamities that have come on you from your youth till now.’”
— 2 Samuel 19:5-7
For the most part, David lived a noble life. He was courageous before his enemies, and faithful to God, even to the point of respecting the life of the man who was bent on killing him, King Saul. It was only when he had achieved relative peace and had been established as king over Israel that the wheels started to come off.
You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.
You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
This passage from Psalm 85 gives us some clues to resolving anger. In this short series of essays on anger, we defined anger as, “the feeling that results from an imbalance between our expectations and the situation we find ourselves in.”*
God expects that his Creation will recognize Him and honor Him. When this doesn’t happen God becomes angry. God says:
“Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.”
— Jeremiah 25:6
Because of God’s great love for us, he provided a means for us to be redeemed from his anger. In the Old Testament, that meant dumping all the foreign gods in the Kidron Valley and submitting to God’s will. Unfortunately over the centuries, the Israelites turned their back on God so often that they made a mockery of his willingness to forgive. Instead, when the old covenant was in tatters, God formed a new covenant in his son, Jesus Christ.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
— John 3: 14-15
I’ve written about this passage before in “Complications” but it deserves a second look as an affirmation verse.
Salvation isn’t complicated. The people who were saved from the venomous snakes in the wilderness were saved from death if they simply looked upon the bronze snake.
Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Some people have told me that they feel put off by James’ letter because of his emphasis on what they call “works.” There seems to be a lot of confusion on this point. Paul spends a lot of time in his writings defending the Gentile Christians against the demands of Jewish law. Time and again he returns to this theme which is summed up in his letter to the Ephesians:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
The “works” that Paul refers to are a kind of righteousness defined by the laws of Moses. These are the laws of the covenant or agreement God made with the Israelites through Moses. (If you would like to know more about this covenant in general terms read Deuteronomy, chapters 27-30.) Under this agreement, the Israelites were to remain faithful to God. Not just in their actions, but in their hearts as well. God taught the Israelites the difference between right and wrong actions in the hope that their hearts would follow.
For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
As we discussed in “You Break It You Buy It” a glass angel with a broken wing is no longer “new” in the eyes of the Curio Shop owner. In the same way, if you commit murder the whole law is broken, just like that angel. Even something as minor as disrespecting the poor brother in Christ breaks God’s law of loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Using the logic James puts forth, the one who discriminates between the rich and the poor has broken the law. Unlike people, the Law does not discriminate. Once you break the law, the law condemns you to the same place all other lawbreakers go.
For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.
But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.
— Psalm 5: 4, 7
Have you ever noticed how many stories are based on the Bible? The Bible story is based on Jesus coming into our world. He offers us a special relationship. He is wonderful. But something bad has happened. The people Jesus loves have been taken captive by his arch-enemy, Satan. In the battle to free his people, Jesus is killed. Then, amazingly, he comes back to life.
In the movies, the hero often follows a similar story arc. A great sacrifice is needed. Sometimes the hero or heroine even dies. Once in a while, the hero comes back to life. (If you have ever seen the movie, Princess Bride, you know what I mean.)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit
— Romans 15:13
If you look at any United States coin, written on the front are the words, “In God We Trust.” Over the years I have come to marvel at the implications of what it means to trust in God.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he ties together trust, hope, joy, and peace. All this is by the power of the Holy Spirit. Without God, we do not have access to that power.
