James 3:1-12
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
I have great respect for school teachers. Part of that respect is because I believe teaching is a high calling as well as a very difficult job; part is because I served as a substitute teacher for two years as I worked my way through graduate school; and part is because teaching is part of what God has called me to do with my life.
Teaching is both challenging and rewarding because, properly understood, it’s about both truth and people. A teacher is responsible to convey that which is true, but more than that, to convey that truth to human beings in a way that helps to shape how they think as well as who they are.
Teaching is a hard job; but a wonderful job!
When I was in the 5th grade my teacher was a lady named Mrs. Jazari. Back in those days we stayed in one classroom with one teacher all day long so Mrs. Jazari was responsible to teach us everything from math to social studies to English and everything in between. I can’t begin to imagine how hard and frustrating her just must have been on some days!
And while I spent some 180 days in her classroom I really only remember one day with any clarity. That was the day that I had to present my report on New York City to the class.
My family had moved to New York State from Ohio less than a year earlier, so for my “city report” I was excited to choose New York City because I thought it would make me more of a “New Yorker” than an outsider. So I got out my World Book Encyclopedia (remember those?) and started to put together what I hoped would be an awesome report.
While I don’t remember many details about what I may have included in my report, I’m sure I mentioned the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty and probably the New York Yankees. When I finished my presentation to the class I’m sure I believed I deserved a standing ovation for both my comprehensive knowledge and breathtaking oratory on the history of the great city.
But Mrs. Jazari was not impressed.
She said something like, “You just gave an entire report on New York City and never once mentioned Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, the most significant Mayor in the history of New York! How could you not include Mayor LaGuardia? What’s wrong with you!!??”
She went on and on, her voice rising until her face turned red and the veins stood out on her neck (which happened when she was really angry), as she ranted about Fiorello LaGuardia.
It was terrifying and humiliating all at the same time. I could feel the eyes of my classmates as they watched the public dismantling of my self-esteem. I wished I could somehow beam myself out of that classroom to a safer (and quieter) place. Now, to her credit, Mrs. Jazari was absolutely right about Mayor LaGuardia! But her method may have left something to be desired. To this day I can’t hear the name “LaGuardia” without thinking of Mrs. Jazari. I learned something that day about the history of New York City, but I learned even more about what it means to be a teacher.
James seems to be saying three things here:
1. Not everyone is called to be a teacher
2. Teachers are held to a higher standard
3. Nobody is perfect, including those who teach
Evidently James was dealing with people who wanted to become teachers in the church for the status that it provided. That is, they wanted to teach, but they wanted to teach for selfish reasons.
So James says:
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
This is his way of saying that teaching isn’t about position or status, it’s about responsibility. He’s implying that those who teach are held to higher standards than those who don’t. I think he means that teachers are accountable for both their handling of God’s truth as well as their treatment of those they teach. Back to my 5th grade teacher for a moment; Mrs. Jazari had a firm command of the history of New York, but her method of teaching did litte to encourage a young boy’s interest in the subject!
Finally, James wants those who want to teach to have the humility to acknowledge that they aren’t perfect.
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
I think this is James’ way of saying that no matter how much you study, no matter how much you prepare, no matter how many sermons or Bible Studies you have delivered, you’re still going to mess up. You might get a fact wrong here or there; you might give a poor illustration; you might just have a bad day, but you will mess up.
So, James is saying, if you want to teach others, as a schoolteacher, a parent, a professor or a pastor, be sure you know what you are getting into and, above all, be humble.
Brian Coffey
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