“Faith That Works: Raising a Good Harvest”
James 3:13-4:12
Wives and mothers – it’s an extremely hot and humid day. You’ve been shopping all day for the family. Half the stuff you couldn’t find or the price had gone up. But you’re pretty well set and have just one stop left. After driving around the huge parking lot for the third time you see a car leaving a spot. You drive up close and wait for the car to pull away – and as it does you see someone else zooming in from the other way. What will you do, think, and feel?
Men, it’s been a rough day at work. You’re hot, tired, tried, tested, and out of patience. All you want is a little peace and quiet. You’re glad to get home, take your shoes off, find a cool drink, put your feet up, and grab the remote. You’re all set for the next hour. But your wife has had it with the kids. She’s talked to no one over 5 years of age all day long and has a whole ton of information heaped up to spew out to you. And here she comes! What will you do, think, and feel?
Youth – you’re at the amusement park on the hottest day of the year. It’s late and you’re in line for one last trip on your favorite ride. You’ve stood in line for almost 2 hours. The line is moving again and you know you’re getting in this time. Then, at the last moment, two kids sneak in line and pass you by. As they approach the turnstile, you hear the park attendant say there’s room for just two more – them. What will you do, think, and feel?
Each of these situations deal with the everyday occurrence of choosing either peace or war. James makes the choice clear (3:17-18): “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap (raise) a harvest of righteousness.” The question is, why is it so difficult for us to make that choice?
James begins by making A POWERFUL ACCUSTATION. 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” James raises THE KEY ISSUE behind our difficulty in choosing. People know the devastation of fighting and quarreling. It cripples, kills, and destroys immeasurably. People are hurt and scarred; families are split and broken; humanness is forgotten. We cannot justify what takes place, yet it does. What is it that can cause a person who would normally stop to help the poor stranger to suddenly fight and wage war against someone else?
Knowing that most of us participate in quarreling and fighting at some point, James pointedly asks, WHY IS THERE THE FIGHTING AMONG US? WE are Christians who ought to, by Jesus command, love each other; so what about the daily rifts between us and others? Why do people – why do we – turn on others? It’s been a question since the days of Cain who killed his brother Abel. We cannot seem to identify and eradicate the root causes of conflict. We’re no better at it in our homes and families than the United Nations is between nations. What causes fighting? What leads to strife? Why is there so much quarreling and hostility? This is the issue.
James is quick to shoot down any MISGUIDED ILLUSIONS. 4:1 – “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” The problem is not ‘out there’ somewhere, or within someone else; it’s OUR PERSONAL INTERESTS. Fights and quarrels originate in our passions and desires. The passions of our hearts drive us. If I want it, I should have it. It if makes me feel better, it’s all right. If it feels good, do it. If it’s in my heart, if I feel this way, I’m entitled to it. Remember the situations in the introduction? Women, what will you do in the parking lot? Men, what will you do with the remote. Young people, what will you do in the amusement park line?
James continues (4:2): “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight.” The word ‘desire’ comes from the Greek word hedon, from which we get the term hedonist. A hedonist is a pleasure seeker who pursues his or her own desires. The phrase ‘quarrel and fight’ come from stratouomai from which we get the word strategy. James is saying that WE WANT WHAT WE DO NOT HAVE AND ESPECIALLY WHAT WE CANNOT GET. And since our sinful hearts long for pleasure they strategize ways to get it. Think about it. We do seem to develop strong passions for those things we know we cannot have. Have you ever noticed how a child tries so hard to get a treat they’ve been told they cannot have? Once these desires get strong enough we won’t let anything stand in our way. We are even willing to sacrifice people on the altars of our desires.
We want, says James, but we do not have. AND EVEN IF WE GET IT, WE WILL NOT BE SATISFIED – that’s the real illusion here. Contentment is not tied in to our possessions. What war ever permanently accomplished what the perpetrator desired? What fight ever brought about a lasting state of peace and harmony? Nations have warred over cravings for land, trade routes, seaports, crops, forests, gold, and oil. It all originates from a belief that possession will equal power and that power will bring contentment and peace. And individuals have similarly fought to gain their own ends. Churches have fought with other churches for the same reason.
The problem is desire and passion. Whether on the battlefield, in the boardroom, or in the bedroom the problem is the same. Passions are continually warring within each of us. Like a troubled sea, we cannot rest. Our pursuit of pleasure is endless. The truth is any of us, if sufficiently frustrated or angered or lustful, is capable of fighting, quarrels, and even violence. Many homicides, in fact, are not the result of a desire to kill but rather of uncontrolled passions and desires. The difference between the murderer and us is not in our passions, but in how we handle our passions. The passions of often the same. That’s the accusation of James.
Having established the issue, James paints a picture of A PEACEFUL ATTITUDE. First, listen again to verse 2: “You do not have because you do not ask God.” THE PRIMARY RESOURCE for developing and maintaining a peaceful attitude is prayer. More specifically it is PROPERLY MOTIVATED PRAYER. If it’s worth fighting for, it’s certainly worth asking for! I wonder how many times we fail to turn to God when our passions and desires well up within us. We forget that that God is a giving God and loving Father who will not give us a rock when we ask for bread. Jesus told us to seek, ask, and knock. He’s waiting to give to us.
But, you say, you’ve asked – and come up empty. James says that perhaps you’ve asked wrongly. (4:3) “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” Perhaps you’ve asked for the sake and enrichment of your desires and passions. God does not grant whatever we desire and want; He graciously gives what is asked according to His will. When we allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives, if we truly love Him, if we desire above all to be obedient and to seek first His kingdom and righteousness He will give us whatever we ask. But God loves us too much to pamper us with our passion and whims. Jesus put it this way: (Jn. 14:13-14) “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (Jn. 15:16-17) “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
So what has been your craving lately? What about your desires? When your needs haven’t been met, what have you done? From now on, ask. When you’re frustrated, ask. When you collide with another in pursuit of your desire, ask. In the parking lot, with your hand on the remote, standing in line at the park, ask. Ask – in Jesus’ name, to glorify Him.
A peaceful attitude comes also from THE PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP in our lives. The first commandment spells it out – we are to have no other gods before God. Our primary relationship must be with God through Jesus Christ. But James said that too often WE ARE UNFAITHFUL. (4:4) “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.” If we desire earthly passions and possessions we are friends with the world and therefore at enmity with God. We are like an adulterer. Jesus said we cannot have two masters, that we would either hate the one and love the other or be devoted to one and despise the other. (Mt. 5:24). If the world’s aims are number one on our agenda, if personal pleasure is number one – if grabbing the parking space or clinging to the remote or getting the next ride is number one, we are in opposition to Almighty God.
GOD WANTS FAITHFULNESS AND LOYALTY. (4:5-6) “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor (grace) to the humble.”’ He wants us not in the arms of the world but in His arms. He gave us His Spirit so we could be close to Him. That’s why He wants no rivals. He wants us close to Him so He can give us more grace – again, and again, and again. God wants us to humble ourselves and turn to Him so he can pour out His grace.
And what does that look like? What PRACTICAL ACTIONS can we take? Look at 4:7 for action number one: “Submit yourselves, then, to God.” SUBMIT. We need to place ourselves under God’s rule and way. Recall the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Mt. 20:1-16). The landowner hired men at different times of the day to work in his field. At the end of the day he paid all the laborers the same amount of money. Needless to say those hired earlier in the day were furious. Jesus’ lesson was that this was God’s rule and way, and it’s up to us to take it or leave it. We always have a choice – we can grudgingly obey and grumble and growl through life or we can, out of love, submit to God’s rule and way and experience peace and joy through life.
The second action is to RESIST. (7) “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The devil cannot stand the presence of Jesus Christ! Put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6) so we are prepared to resist. Wherever we are, wherever we go we have contact with the agents of the devil. We cannot shut ourselves off. So use the authority of Christ to command the devil to flee and then flee ourselves. James promises he will flee.
Action number three is DRAW NEAR TO GOD. (8) “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Grab hold of all the resources God makes available to us. Drawing near means more than taking one step; it means take all the steps necessary to stay close to God. Draw near through regular worship, prayer, and study. And God will come to us and be with us.
Fourthly, James indicates we need to REPENT. (8-10) “Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Raising a harvest of peace begins in our hearts. We need to wash off the dirt of old sins and turn from our un-peaceful ways to God and His way. God needs to cauterize the sinful desires and passions that strive to drive us. To mourn and grieve our sins is to hate our sins to such a degree that we desire to thrust them out of our lives – which only God can help us do.
The fifth action Jams lists is STOP SLANDERING. (11-12) “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” These verse about peace immediately follow James words about the danger, power, and potential of the tongue. He reminds us yet again that to speak unjustly against a brother or sister is to reject God’s law of love, which is to reject God and to turn our backs on Jesus’ love.
What do these actions have to do with parking lots, television remotes, and amusement park lines? “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap (raise) a harvest of righteousness… God opposes the proud but shows favor (gives grace) to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God.” God wants us to humble ourselves and turn to Him so he can pour out His grace upon us. And when we’re filled with His grace, we will sow peace and raise a harvest of righteousness.
So we gather around the table of our Lord. In doing so we are one – we are at peace. For it brings us to the cross. “For he himself is our peace, who has … destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity … thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile (us) to God through the cross, by which he put to death (our) hostility.” Whether in the parking lot, holding the television remote, or standing in line at the amusement park – wherever you are, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”
