WISDOM AND PEACE (James 3:13-4:3)

(James 3:13-4:3)

What is the most important word in the New Testament? It would vary, as per people’s own views. Some may say faith, hope, love or the kingdom of God, among them we cannot leave out ‘peace’. It is evident from Luke’s gospel that the peace prevails even during Jesus’ birth. When Jesus was born to Mary, the shepherds heard this news from angels in the field. The angels of the heaven sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.”(Luke 2:14) Among the Beatitude, the seventh is peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matt. 5:9) The gospel authors testify Jesus as the king of peace with one voice. Apostle Paul also delivered the greeting of peace. “Grace and peace to you from God, our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 1:7, 1 Cor. 1:3, 2 Cor. 1:2, Phil. 1:2) Through this material we can confirm how peace was important fact in the early Christianity.

Not only early Christians but even Jews greet each other saying ‘Shalom’ which means ‘peace to you.’ In Arabic, it is ‘Salam’. Most of the yogis or gurus in India repeatedly say ‘Om Shanti’. Even there is a movie called “Om Shanti Om”. Human kinds have always used these kinds of greetings for they think and believe in maintaining peace is the best way of life. However, despite mankind cries out to keep peace again and again we cannot find out newspaper without wars in the world. Peace is far away in India. People and countries are fighting with each other to get their own peace but it is destroying communities and countries. It is important for all political leaders and religious leaders to recognize peace as a reality of life so that the direction of policy and mission will be different accordingly.

                                                

Today many Christians don’t realize it practically though they hear the sound of peace from the Bible. Not only peace but they also accept all the teachings of the Bible vaguely or distantly. Jesus’ teaching, “The kingdom of God is near” as any other stories. The teaching, “do not worry about eating, drinking and clothing but first seek the kingdom of God” has an advice of a principal. For some these teachings are mere words but for some these are priceless. Although Jesus’ teachings are repeated so often to us but still it seems as if the Bible is far away from us and so as God. All our faith falls into platitude level. Despite entire religious life there is no content of faith but struggle with form.

What is the reason that peace which the Bible emphasizes, doesn’t appeal to us? The important answer we feel is that the peace doesn’t have relationship with our lives. It can also be said that, World peace is not the matter of petite bourgeoisie. We cannot involve directly in the matter of the peace between India and Pakistan also. Though we have concern on it but we can participate passively only. So we think peace as a sort of psychological operation in an individual mind saying peace in our heart comes when we believe in Jesus. In fact, it is not easy in practical. Even Christian also cannot accomplish peace in their hearts like any other in the world. Frankly speaking, we don’t have spiritual peace individually or peace in the world. It is so remorseful. The way to overcome such thing is to begin to accept the teaching of peace in the Bible as life’s reality, that is, the reality of salvation.

People who destroy church community:

I quoted ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ among the Beatitude in the Matthew’s gospel. This verse is similar to James 3:18, in today’s content. James says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” We roughly understand the meaning of this content. It might mean those who seek peace finally establish righteousness. Generally, it is true. However, we fall into such generality that the peace which James says, cannot come to our lives in real. We have to know a detailed situation why James had said like this.

Church communities, as James watches now, face a great crisis due to the power struggle between the two groups, the legalist and the non-legalist. The legalist mainly belongs to Judean Christianity in Jerusalem and non-legalist Gentile Christianity of the Greek. Though they were all Christians who confessed Jesus as Christ but the idea for the law was totally different. The former insisted to keep Torah and the tradition of circumcision but the latter refused. For us such matter doesn’t seem to be serious. It would be better to explain by comparing it with the present situation.

October 31, 1517 was the day Martin Luther attached the Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences on the wall of All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany, in the Holy Roman Empire. We generally call this day as Reformation day. One of Luther’s statements is that salvation is done only by faith. Contrary to this, Roman Catholic Church insisted that the believer’s achievement also is required together with grace. Outsiders of church may not feel much difference between Roman Catholic and Protestants. However, it was unpardonable matter in those days between people in the Holy Roman Empire and Luther. Finally the Holy Roman Empire expelled Luther out and he positively confronted them with his followers and co-workers.

Such struggle among Christians had happened in the Early Christianity. It was more serious in those days. It was because there was no formation of Christianity. Corinthian church, where Paul preached gospel also was the same. They divided into the followers of Paul, Apollos, Cephas and Christ. (1 Cor. 1:12) Paul and Barnabas together worked in the Antioch church, were divided from the second mission journey. We cannot understand such situation with our point of view today. It is strange that such division and struggle existed even in the period of Jesus’ disciples who directly worked as the church leaders. Don’t think it strangely. It was the church’s reality.

It was unthinkable that differentiation existed even among the followers of Jesus. Believers’ experiences are different and present situation also different. Some people think conservatively and others progressively. Politically some people are close to the ruling party while others with the opposition party. Some people think other religion negatively but some the object of sharing dialogue together. Some people completely hate Pakistan while some try to understand. It is impossible to gather all different ideas into one in Jesus Christ.

James saw danger of non-legalist who extremely denied the law. They were Nicolaitans. According to their saying, those who are saved don’t require any action. I explained it a few weeks ago. It was the situation that James should emphasize action criticizing fruitless dead faith. Do not misunderstand. It doesn’t mean that James was a stubborn legalist or mere activist. Why didn’t he know the secret of grace and gospel through Jesus Christ? It is already premised story. The matter was he saw a danger of breaking of church community by the extreme non-legalists. The thing to destroy the peace of church community was happening in the name of gospel.

Wisdom on the earth

So James was warning their reality. James’ point of view was that the group who destroys the peace of church was teachers or wise men. James asked them, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”(13) They speak well and talk much. They thought they were wise people. Others also recognized their ability. Of course wisdom is required in the church. Theology also is wisdom. Preaching also is wisdom. The ability to preach gospel logically also is clearly wisdom. If church teachers have no wisdom Christian faith cannot escape from maenadism. Paradoxically such many words can destroy church. James says it in detail from 3:1. “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know we who teach will be judged more strictly.” It means those who teach something should have a greater responsibility before God. So he emphasized to tame their tongue.

Do not misunderstand. It doesn’t mean to say do not say any opposite opinion. An opposition is necessary. Sometimes a sharp dispute also is necessary. Church’s judge wasn’t always right. Luther’s case also was the same. He said to many against the Holy Roman Empire. Would the Holy Roman Empire expel Luther out? I say again. The dispute between right and wrong is necessary in the church for church is the truth community. The matter is such an argument that follows desire. Such desire is moved not by truth but their own selfish interests and desires. They enjoy dispute and struggle itself rather than seeking truth. They don’t care but indulge to extend their own power. Church becomes the playground of faction and political strategy.

It is not easy to distinguish between the dispute for truth and self-assertion to follow own desire. Self-assertion from own desire also can keep plausible form for a while. However, it is really temporary. At the nature of desire, it cannot be hidden long time. Finally it reveals its own shape. Such wisdom belongs to the earth and it occurs as envy, selfish ambition, disorder and every evil practice. (16) Such fruit of desire were appeared in the James’ community. Faith had disappeared and there was full of human struggle and dispute in the community. According to James fights and quarrels come from their desires. (4:1) Here desire is Hedonai, the evil spirit against reason, love, and conscience, the right insight. Such phenomena are revealed in verse 2 well. “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

We can see such things from Indian Christianity. When they elect church leaders we often see such struggle. It is not the fight for seeking the truth but catching religious power. Once they feel getting behind they go to the court in the world. All these things are nothing but the wisdom out of desire, only form is from faith.

Wisdom from the above

Different from this, James explains the wisdom from heaven. Such wisdom is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (17) James narrated seven items, five positive and two passive. It is the standards of distinguishing whether church leader, church workers are from heaven or earth. James explained peace-loving, the second item among this again in verse 18. “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

He warns fights and quarrels among them in verses 4:1-3. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”The theme he would like to deliver is here. It means those who know wisdom from heaven, and those who are working with such wisdom plants the seed of peace.

What does the meaning of planting the seed of peace in detail? If we keep our faith life well then can we live peacefully? It is difficult to answer for such question. If we say to aim peace but keep silent before unrighteousness then it is the very dead faith. Mere non-dispute is not peace. Jesus said the other way. “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”(Luke 12:51) The incident of crucifixion signifies the dispute with the world. It is not easy to distinguish when we have to keep peace relationship with world and when struggle with. Though we live friendly with others and live without dispute we cannot boldly say we are planting the seed of peace. Hedonai, the power of desire always is working in us.

Though we don’t have the power to recognize the ultimate peace and don’t have ability to practice it, we have to choose one of them in a certain concrete situation between directing peace comes from heaven and fighting and struggling belongs to earthly desire. The people James warned were the latter. They followed desires with plausible talk. They called themselves teachers and wise man. They continually made Christian fight, dividing and falling into animosity.

Dear brothers and sisters, Seek, wisdom comes from heaven. It is a true wisdom. The fact is, true wisdom can be known with its fruit. According to James, the most important fruit is to plant the seed of peace. Yes. If your wisdom comes from heaven, you can plant the seed of peace in church, family and world. On the contrary, if you live peace-oriented life in church, family and world, your wisdom came from heaven.