James two talks about favoring some over others. It shows hoe it is wrong to favor and give special attention to one person because of appearances. The book uses a rich looking person's appearance over a poor looking person's appearance. On appearance alone the wealthy person would often be given special attention and the best seat in the house, while the one poor in appearance would be ushered off to more or less fend for themselves. We have to be careful because in our worldliness are we not impressed by big houses and expensive cars? Don't we seem to pay less attention to people who are in need in some way? If we are honest, don't we even shy away from people we see who are in need or look desperate? People in need even make us feel uneasy and uncomfortable don't they? Perhaps it is a deep seeded fear of falling into circumstances ourselves that would put us in a position of need as well that makes us feel so uncomfortable. The lesson is to "love your neighbor as yourself" no matter their worldly posession or wealth.
We continue of and a similar example of a person in need is used. Who are we really if we proclaim to have great faith and love and claim to be followers of Christ fi we do nothing with those beliefs? James holds a mirror up to us for if we believe we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, yet on is in need and we have the ability to be of help, but send them on our way, what does that say to the world about our faith and beliefs? All talk perhaps?
The tongue, oh how difficult it is to tame and control. Sometimes it seems to go off on it's own doesn't it? He talks about how we can tame all sort of animal but not our own tongue. Maybe hidden in those words in an idea that we should worry less about taming nature and make more of an effort to tame our tongues! But it goes further than that "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who have been made is God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water come from the same spring?" What this is teaching us os that if both praise and cursing come from the same mouth then the problem is much deeper. The problem comes from the source of our hearts. There is trouble within our hearts and we need to make a change. Our hearts are not pure and we need to work on why we choose to curse and praise and fix it. We cannot love our God and curse His creation, something is not right.
We then are instructed in the fruit of wisdom from above and worldly wisdom. Worldly wisdom is expressed by such things as bitter envy, selfish ambition. With it you will see disorder, evil practices (perhaps cheating others) and is unspiritual and of the devil. Godly wisdom is characterized by a good life, humility. Wisdom from above is pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere behavior and peaceful. That is the wisdom from above. Earthly wisdom focuses on personal gain and worldly possessions while heavenly wisdom cares for matters of character and those attribute that bring good things to others. Loving and caring things. Can we consider that worldly wisdom leads to worldly gain? Have we not heard that the gain of the world, the riches of the world are those things that rust and persih. They are things that crumble and fall apart over time. They are things that cannot go with you. They are things that we trade and sell to get new and better things. But the wisdom from above changes your heart, it changes other's hearts, it goes with you whereever you go. It cannot be taken from you, stolen from you, be owned by a bank or be repossessed. Wisdom from above is a gain that will direct your course for your entire life. It is one investment that will pay dividends for all eternity.
I have touched on but a few of the great and powerful teachings in James. I have a note on my refrigerator to read James often. If you want to play the guitar, your have to read the music book often and practice daily. In my thoughts, to be a better Christian, to love my neighbor as myself, I need to read the Scriptures daily and practice, practice, practice. For me, James is a good way of accomplishing that. It helps me to humble myself before the Lord and avoid the temptation of being proud.
So for June, let's study first and second Thessalonians. Keep up the great work, you who hunger and thirst for truth!
God Bless you!