DO YOU WANT TO BE WISE?
Not too long ago, Sharon and I became friends with a family from Texas. They are devout Christians and very proud Texans. We even had two of their adult children live with us for several months. There were a few learning curves in this experience, but we managed to provide these children a safe space to finish their college degrees at Providence.
One piece of parental admonition stood out for us: the parents of these children would not tell them to “be safe” when they went out into the world…no, they would tell them to “be wise.” I’ve never forgotten that “blessing” and now use it myself.
As parents, we want our children to be safe when they leave the house. Nothing wrong with that. But the caution to be safe is limited in its scope. It encourages taking a defensive posture with life and protecting oneself from the risks that could potentially harm us physically or emotionally. Being safe is also inward focused; it’s about “me,” and not so much about others.
Telling our loved ones to “be wise” embraces a broader scope of life with its implications. Being wise is not just about “me” but about others as well. My caution is coupled with my concern for others so that my own well-being is not the sole objective. To be wise means making decisions that are God-honoring and beneficial for others.
Being safe is driving a six-lane freeway as if it were a one-way country lane. Being wise is driving a six-lane freeway with your head on a swivel looking this way and that for opportunities while practicing awareness of the cars around you.
Do you want to be wise? I think we all do. We want to be wise. We don’t want to be seen as fools. We seek after wisdom, but we need to be discerning about wisdom. There are two kinds of wisdom in our world. James 3:13-18 speaks of worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. Can we tell them apart?
Can I See your Wisdom? (3:13)
James asked a loaded question of the churches in his care: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom,” (13). Remember, James had been talking to teachers and leaders in the church, some of whom thought that by being a teacher or leader they were due some respect. He did draw in all Christians who sought wisdom and asked them to evaluate themselves asking, “Who is truly wise among you?”
In the NLT, we find not a question but a challenge: “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” This sounds like his earlier challenge, “Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do,” (2:18). This fits because wisdom is revealed by the way one lives his or her life. Good work is the result of true wisdom.
If you are paying close attention to James’ challenge, you will notice a phrase that sets the tone for how he will define wisdom: “the meekness of wisdom.” That word “meekness” was not too popular in Greek thinking. But it’s not based on popular Greek thinking; it is based on the life of Jesus. The NT writers understood “meekness” to involve “a healthy understanding of our own unworthiness before God and a corresponding humility and lack of pride in our dealings with our fellow men,” (Blomberg, 171). Now you know why it was not popular among a bunch of egocentric people who thought themselves wise. Meekness asks us to be teachable, to yield ourselves to God’s word. It is the quality of NOT being overly impressed by one’s own self-importance.
Wisdom is not knowledge. I can know something without understanding it. You will gain knowledge by taking apart a refrigerator, but it takes wisdom to put it back together again. When you can’t put it back together, it takes the meekness of wisdom to ask for the expertise of another to help you. You can begin to see that biblical wisdom is contrary to the wisdom of our world. (Worldly wisdom: “I can do it myself”; Biblical wisdom: “I need help”).
In fact, it is. Consider 1 Corinthians 1:21-24 (read). Reading Paul’s words, wisdom is defined through the cross of Christ. Through the lens of the cross we see that God’s supreme expression of wisdom was his Son losing, being defeated by Jewish and Roman authorities, and dying on a cruel device meant to torture, punish, and kill. Jews called it weakness; Greeks called it foolish. But Christians are supposed to call it power and wisdom. That is upside down and backwards to how the world understands wisdom.
Wisdom requires humility. Wisdom asks us to be teachable. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding,” (Prov. 9:10).
Wisdom that isn’t Wise (3:14-16)
James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom. He contrasts the two kinds saying in effect that one comes from below and the other from above. These two types of wisdom are contrasted further by their origins, operations, and outcomes (W. Wiersbe ch. 8). Let’s look at the wisdom from below.
Origins – Jumping down to v. 15, James said, “This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic,” (15). Bible scholars also call this unholy trio the world, the flesh, and the devil. In other words, this wisdom does not originate with God.
· It is Earthly. Wisdom that is earthly shuts out God and limits its scope and understanding to things on this earth. It is tested primarily by what you can see (seeing is believing). It does not consider God and deems faith as an inferior approach to life.
· It is Unspiritual. Also known as natural, it is a wisdom that lacks the life of the Spirit – it is life apart from God. In Greek this word refers to the base instinct of an animal to survive. Survival sums it up fairly well. Feelings guide this kind of wisdom – doing what feels right.
· It is Demonic. This packed term is like what James said about the tongue, how it is set on fire by hell and destroys. The actions of this wisdom imply that they are demon-inspired.
Operations – How does this wisdom operate? Twice, James uses the phrase “bitter jealousy and selfish ambition,” (14, 16). This is where self-importance and self-interest motivate one’s actions. These attitudes come from seeing others receive what we think we ought to have. Worldly wisdom says, “I deserve this” and “I demand respect.”
Think of King Saul in the OT who grew increasingly bitter over David’s successes. The women sang a song of celebration, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands,” (1 Sam 18:7). You can imagine how that song must have driven Saul out of his mind. When we allow bitterness to grow it becomes antagonism that confuses others and destroys ourselves. It is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die.
Craig Blomberg said this, “Often when Christians strive for a higher position in church, they do not imagine that their actions will actually create more problems. We may well think that we are the solution and that if we get our way, we will help the church improve. Instead, James declares that self-seeking will invariably produce chaos and lead people to baser actions rather than to nobler ones,” (174).
Outcomes – The result of this earthly wisdom is described as “disorder and every vile practice,” (16). The word “chaos” is a good synonym for “disorder.” One of my favorite shows growing up was Get Smart, a spoof of spy shows. The bad guys were called “Chaos” while the good guys were called “Control.” Seems fitting that when selfish ambition clouds a leader’s mind there will be chaos for those following.
Again, Blomberg nails it, “When we fight for power in Christian circles, evil establishes a foothold. When we operate with worldly values, seeking our own honor and status, we even offer Satan an entrance into the house of God!” (175).
Sometimes this occurs when we try to apply the wisdom of the business world to the church. If we focus on numbers and physical growth, we lose sight of what God values – relationship and spiritual growth. The term “CEO” does not have a biblical basis and reflects the leadership styles of corporate practices. Jesus instead speaks of shepherds and relational nurturing.
Sowing and Reaping a Harvest of Wisdom (3:17-18)
The wisdom from above offers a dramatically different approach to living life. Let’s consider again the origins, operations, and outcomes of this wisdom. James wrote, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere,” (17).
Origins – This wisdom is from above; it comes from God. Remember that James said earlier, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (1:17). Another pastor, Brian Bill, commented on the difference between these types of wisdom saying, wisdom from below comes from reason; wisdom from above comes from revelation.
Reason and logic are a necessary part of life, but without revelation, they have no purpose. Revelation is God revealing himself and his purpose for life, that we may know his heart.
Operations – The wisdom from heaven operates on a totally different level than the wisdom from below. Heavenly wisdom is pure. All of wisdom’s attributes flow from purity. The root of purity means ethical blamelessness and implies that one is free of the moral and spiritual defects that the marks of the double minded. Remember, James said when we ask for wisdom we should believe and not doubt because the doubter is double-minded (1:6-8).
From the root of purity comes further descriptors of true wisdom. These sound a lot like Paul’s “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23 and with good reason. Some writers believe that James viewed wisdom as a primary function of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. How does this wisdom operate?
· It is peace-loving: wisdom seeks to get along with others.
· Gentle: a wise person gives up his right to be right.
· Open to reason: a wise person is compliant and approachable, willing to be taught and willing to let others have the spotlight.
· Full of mercy and good fruits: a wise person shows compassion to those who are hurting, sick, or broke.
· Impartial: wisdom sees through the veneer and values people as people, not for how much money they possess or don’t possess. Wisdom heeds the “love your neighbor” law.
· Sincere: a wise person is a person of integrity and consistency. What they are today, they will be tomorrow.
Outcomes – Heavenly wisdom produces an attractive fruit. “…a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace,” (18). When the wisdom of Christ is practiced in the church of Christ there is a harvest of peace because the people in the church are confident that the gospel guides the church.
Peace is more than the absence of unrest or turmoil. This peace is holistic; it is shalom. Shalom in the OT was a sense of harmony and balance in oneself and amongst the people of God. It goes beyond the mere avoidance of trouble or problems and uncomfortable issues. It will fight sin, but hunger for peace. It seeks to heal divisions and provide wise counsel. Peace is the ultimate goal of wisdom.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him,” (1:5).
Do you want to be wise?
I sat at my desk this week trying to come up with an illustration of what godly wisdom looked like and could not think of anything that wasn’t cheesy or contrived. I began to wonder if I knew what wisdom really looked like. I wanted so badly to show you the essence in real terms of what wisdom looks like.
I gave up.
Then it hit me. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…what do you get? Jesus! Jesus is the wisdom of God. Jesus is not some pie-in-the-sky image that lacks earthy imagery that we long for. He came and lived this life. He absolutely is the earthy image we long for.
Paul uses oddly similar wording in Philippians 2 when he writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves,” (3). Paul tells us to look at the interests of others, just as James was teaching. And then Paul gives the example of wisdom in these words (I dare you to deny this):
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” (5-8).
Jesus did not only save us from sin, he demonstrated how we are to live in his upside-down kingdom. He is the example of wisdom personified.
Do you want to be wise? Live as Jesus lived.
AMEN
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