Tuesday, Nov. 27

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Tuesday

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. 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.  You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 

- James 4:1-6

James was a pastor and a leader of the very first church in Jerusalem.  James wrote his letter to Christians living throughout the Roman world in the first century A.D. to instruct them and to encourage them in living out their faith.  

Sometimes I think we have a tendency to idealize the early church.  We think, “It must have been great to be a part of the first century church!  It was so dynamic and powerful, they experienced miracles and incredible growth through the Holy Spirit.  They had such incredible faith and community!”  But the reality is, the early church was made up of people much like today! Many (if not all!) first century churches wrestled with conflicts between the members. The Corinthian church was split. The Philippian church had at least a couple of women who couldn’t get along, so much so that Paul called them out by name in his letter. 

The Galatian church chewed each other up: If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal 5:15)

In Ephesians, Paul offered an appeal to unity, tolerance, and love between the members, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3)

On a more personal level, Paul and Barnabas had a serious disagreement that led to a parting of the ways.  They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.       - Acts 15:36-40

So, when James addressed the problem of fights and conflicts among the believers, it was very real.  It was not a unique situation when James addressed the problem of quarrels and conflicts among the believers to whom he wrote, and it certainly applies to all of our relational conflicts today, whether in the church or at home.  

I have a good friend who often reminds me that there are no perfect churches in the world, because churches are made up of people and people are not perfect.  In fact my friend likes to joke that if you ever find the perfect church, you should never attend there, because you might be the one to screw it up!

James is showing us that our fundamental problem is not other people. it is the sinful pride of our own selfish heart!  Now James is not exactly a master of tactfulness or sensitivity in the way that he addresses our problem.  He is not concerned with being nice, or polite, and he certainly doesn’t seem to be worried about offending anybody.  James is a doctor of the soul who speaks the truth plainly, even when it hurts. But we should prefer a doctor who speaks the truth over one who is “nice”, but never tells you what is really wrong with you.

Jeff Frazier