Sow in Peace and Harvest Righteousness (James 3:1-18)

Sow in Peace and Harvest Righteousness

 

James 3:1-18

 

We had the presidential election a few days ago. Over the last several months, the two major candidates had a fierce war. It was especially a war of speech. Although they used gentle and decent words, all the words contained “poison” hurting and killing the rival. They also used every verbal decoration for making themselves look better, wiser, and stronger. In these political campaigns, speech is merely a means to offend others and defend myself. It is a powerful war machine. Not only through the campaign rallies, but also through TV ads and news, YouTube, SNS, and phone calls, words are overflooding. Now after the end of the election, people do not remember the words spoken. We don’t think that the words were spoken with deep meanings. There are only the winner and the loser. If a word is considered meaningful, it is only regarding how it affected the candidate’s winning or losing. “It shouldn’t be said so!” “The question should have been answered this way!” In these political campaigns, words are like sharp arrows showering down upon the enemy. Most of them may fly through the air and fall to the ground, but some hit and wound others or the shooter himself. This war-like election was over, and the winner was confirmed. Now we all returned to our “peaceful” daily life. I think if we human beings are unable to speak like horse or donkey, the world may be much more peaceful than now.

 

I am not a politician, but in a sense, I am also a man working through speech. It’s because my job is teaching and preaching the Bible. Preaching the Bible is, of course, different from politicians’ election campaigns, but there is a similarity. Preaching introduces God’s kingdom and its laws to people living in this world, and persuades them to accept Jesus as their new king. Even, I have some passion for this job, and wish that I would carry out this work successfully and make good results. With this ambition, I have some spirit of envy and competition. I would like to be a preacher better than others. I would like to be a man handling God’s word freely, and waging “spiritual wars” valiantly. In the Bible, God’s word and preacher’s mouth are compared to “weapon.” In Isaiah 49:2, the prophet says that God “made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.” In Ephesians 6:17, “the word of God” is called “the sword of the Spirit,” and Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” These are all my favorite verses. And they are all the truth. Nevertheless, spiritual battles using the word of God is not political campaigns at all. It is much less for hurting or killing souls. Still, people’s tongue is far more dangerous in the church than in the election rallies.

 

Today’s text is about people’s word or speech. It is also termed “mouth” and “tongue.” This text contains many admonitions and warnings against our speech. Verse 6 says, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell,” and verse 8 continues, “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” The author says that the tongue is itself “a world of evil” burning with “hell fire.” This sounds too scary. Isn’t the author overly demonizing our tongue. But not only in James, but also in many places of the Bible, we can find various sins committed by the mouth. Some of them are lying, cursing, flattering, grumbling, boasting, slandering, gossiping, and idle talk. Many of our daily talks may fall in one or more of these categories. Of course, our tongue can be mobilized for even more serious sins. For example, among the Ten Commandments that we have studied, the Third says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7). And the Ninth says, “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). These commandments will be violated mainly by our mouth. The tongue is truly the front runner leading our whole body and life. So, verse 2 says, “We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.” Proverbs 10:19 also says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” Considering these teachings, it would be better just to shut the mouth and say no word. Still, we talk a lot. According to data on the Internet, people say 16,000 words a day on the average. With this busy tongue, how can we control our word, reduce verbal mistakes, and avoid sins committed through our mouth? People in the world are also concerned a lot about how to speak, and they have many good guidelines for better communication with fewer mistakes. But today’s text shows us a more fundamental and spiritual way to control our tongue. It is “peace.” Peace is the root of wisdom to control the tongue.

 

We can find the keywords showing why people commit sins with their tongue and why the tongue is like hellish fire. They are “envy and selfish ambition.” Verse 14 says, “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.” Verse 16 also says, “Where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” When we have envy and selfish ambition in the heart, our mouth keeps spewing toxic words. The opposite of envy and selfish ambition is “peace.” To the believers, peace has several meanings in it. First of all, it is fearless calmness of the heart like a still water. This calmness comes from his full trust in and reliance on God. With the peaceful heart, furthermore, they always seek peace and harmony with others. In the Beatitudes, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). In today’s text as well, the author calls the believers “peacemakers” (18). Jesus, who is “the king of peace” (Isaiah 9:6), does not have any “envy or selfish ambition” in him. One of various symbolic images of Jesus Christ is “a lamb.” 1Peter 1:19 calls Jesus “Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” According to prophet Isaiah quoted in Acts 8:32, “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” One of the secrets of Jesus’ sinless and spotless life is in his “silence.” Jesus became “a silent lamb.” Matthew 12:19 also describes Jesus this way, saying, “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.” Around Jesus were always those who envied and hated the Lord. They challenged and provoked Jesus with their “smart” questions. And after all, they arrested, tried, and crucified Jesus, and insulted the Lord on the cross. “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One” (Luke 23:36). “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself” (37). “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (39). They tried to enrage Jesus by hurting his pride. But Jesus didn’t respond to their insults. He was peaceful. It was because Jesus didn’t have any envy or selfish ambition. Jesus didn’t have “prideful I” to defend. Therefore, in the middle of all these loud shouts of strife, Jesus walked his way silently and peacefully.

 

Jesus is “a silent lamb,” but at the same time, he is “the Eternal Word.” However, Jesus’ word is not for arguing or striving. Jesus is “the word of peace” sent by God to us (Acts 10:36). All the words and deeds of Jesus originated from “peace,” and they are for “peace.” Not even a word from Jesus’ mouth is tinted with hating, cursing, grumbling, flattering, slandering, or gossiping. All the words from his mouth are for peace. John 4 presents a dialogue between Jesus and a Samaritan woman. Verses 3-4 of this chapter says, “He (Jesus) left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. Now he had to go through Samaria.” In Jesus’ days, people, when traveling from Judea to Galilee or from Galilee to Judea, used a long detour around Samaria. It was because Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans (John 4:9). But Jesus “had to” go through Samaria. It was because there was something that Jesus had to do there. It was meeting a woman and sharing with her the word of peace. Since long ago, and from far away, Jesus prepared “peace” in his heart that he would like to share with the woman. Jesus didn’t have any other reason. It was only for her, and it was only for peace. Jesus travelled a long way to see her, but the woman didn’t know who Jesus was and why he was sitting by the well. When Jesus asked her, “Will you give me a drink?” she replied bluntly, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” She replied bluntly, but it was not because she was blunt. It was because she had long been suffering from people’s fiery and poisonous tongues, their toxic gossips. Nobody had ever said a word of peace. To her, people’s mouth was like hellish fire burning her skins and consuming her soul. To her, Jesus said humbly and kindly, “Would you give me a drink?” This word of Jesus asking a drink is itself “pure drink.” It is clean water free from sin, evil, greed, hatred, prejudice, judgment, or hidden scheme. It is pure peace. Although the woman’s response was blunt as it was habitually, she was greatly surprised in her heart. The word of the Lord felt like warm breeze caressing her skin and transmitting the warmth deeply into her body and soul. For the first time in her life, she tasted peace while having somebody in front of her.

 

Jesus didn’t give her a lecture on how to be a chaste woman. Instead, Jesus introduced her who he was and what he had for her. Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (John 4:10). Jesus, the Son of God, visited this poor Samaritan woman only to give her the gift of God from heaven. That’s all. He was so graceful and peaceful to her. And the woman wanted it, saying, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” But she was still anxious. In her heart, she said to Jesus in the direct opposite way. “If you knew who I am and how I have lived, you would not give me the gift of God. Even you would not have asked me a drink.” Although Jesus came in peace, she was still in fear because of her hidden past life. Then Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” She was startled and replied hurriedly, “I have no husband.” She felt that this unusually peaceful conversation would end in an unpleasant way as she had always seen. But Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” Oh my God! Surprisingly, Jesus already knew everything. And even Jesus was not upset at all with her past. Even for her lie, Jesus said, “You are right!” “What you have just said is quite true.” Although she had an error exposed, Jesus covered it almost immediately as if no one knew or saw it. Jesus gave her true peace. This peace was not from the woman’s chastity. This peace was from Jesus’ thoughtful and merciful word full of peace and truth. She was relieved and happy all the more because Jesus was even more graceful with her miserable life.

 

We can see a similar story in the love relationship between Jesus and Peter. Peter was a big mouth. He boasted how faithful he was to Jesus. When Jesus said to the disciples, “You will all fall away,” Peter affirmed loudly, “Even if all fall away, I will not.” When Jesus said that he would disown Jesus three times, Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:27-31). But he disowned Jesus three times as Jesus had said. Later, the risen Jesus asked Peter, “do you love me more than these?” he answered, “Yes Lord, you know that I love you.” Peter accepted “himself known by Jesus.” He was not a big mouth anymore. He became a humble man. And he restored peace with Jesus. This peace was not founded on his loyalty. This peace was from Jesus’ thoughtful and merciful word full of peace and truth. Jesus sowed his word in peace in the heart of the Samaritan woman, in the heart of Peter, and in the heart of us all. And in Jesus, we became humble and thoughtful peacemakers. We don’t live by bitter envy and selfish ambition anymore. We live by peace sown by our Lord Jesus. All our words and deeds should be fully soaked with this peace. Then, I believe we may know what to say and what not to say. Then, we will sow the word of peace, the word of reconciliation. And, we will harvest righteousness, the fruit of life pleasing to God. May the Lord help us receive the wisdom of peace from heaven through our Lord Jesus, and be Jesus-like peacemakers in this world using our tongue!