Sunday 20th September 2015

Today our Vicar, Cameron Barker, continues our study of the book of James. The reading is from James 1 verses 19-27.


The story is told about 2 elderly Pentecostal ladies, sitting in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher. When the preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these 2 ladies voiced their approval loudly, in best Pentecostal fashion: “Amen, brother!” When he condemned the sin of lust, they called out, “Preach it, Reverend!” And when the preacher condemned the sin of lying, they were up on their feet shouting, “You tell it like it is: Amen!” But when that preacher condemned the sin of gossip, the 2 went quiet. One turned to the other and said: “He’s quit preaching; now he’s meddling”.

I did think long and hard before telling that story; but concluded that it’s safe to do it – because of course nobody here would ever dream of gossiping, to or about anyone! So we can have a good laugh together at the outset; before this, non-fiery, preacher starts doing what you probably would, and likely will, consider meddling! But if that’s coming out of the blue for you, then I can only think that you weren’t paying attention during the reading: “EVERYONE should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”, James wrote to his 1^st-century readers. And if you think that you’ve got all 3 of those qualities taped already, then feel free to leave now …

We can be sure that James didn’t think his readers had any of this sorted, because he spent the last part of Chapter 1 detailing what he meant when he said, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”. Being the very practical person, and spiritual leader, that he was, James was quick to apply these principles in uncomfortably concrete ways. And there are plenty of commentator who hold that James spent the rest of his letter expanding on how to live faith in these 3 key areas: being quick to listen; slow to speak; and slow to become angry. Given the reality that human nature is essentially no different today to back then, there’s plenty that we can, and must, all learn from James’ advice, then.

I’ll leave it for my fellow preachers to pick up in future weeks if or how what James wrote after this relates to each piece of his Godly wisdom here. One thing that we do need to pick up today, and throughout the rest of this series, is the phrase that Gill used so well last week. (By the way, if you missed that, and/or the launch of this James series the week before, they are now posted on our website). Last week it was, “Don’t be deceived”; here verse 22 has a variation of that phrase, look: “Don’t deceive yourselves”. These words may not appear again in the rest of the letter, but James has given us a very useful, and wise, rule which all of us could do with remembering to run over ourselves; and regularly: don’t be deceived! Because we so often are; and, to be honest, most often it is us deceiving ourselves.

Last week we were warned not to be deceived about: security, wealth and status; or about temptation and sin; and not to be deceived about God either. This week we are specifically warned not to deceive ourselves about our need to put God’s Word into practical action. It may be more general than last week; but that ‘only’ makes it advice that’s more generally applicable, I’d say. And we might as well start by applying it to anger – because that is what James did, in verse 20. “Human anger, you see, doesn’t produce God’s justice!” is how Tom Wright translates it in his commentary. And how easy, not to mention convenient, is it to deceive ourselves about this uncomfortable truth?

I have heard, and seen, it done: “The Bible says ‘Be slow to become angry’; so I can get angry; and I should do, about this. Did you see/hear what s/he did: to me?! How dare they? They deserve everything that I’m going to say/do; so that they will never do it again”; etc! And the sheepish grins on some of your faces tell me that you’ve heard it before too. And you know as full-well as I do that this has got nothing to do with God’s justice; and everything to do with bruised egos. But the key question is, though, if that sheepish grin applies to what you have done when you’ve become angry yourself. There is no doubt that being slow to become angry is very wise and Godly advice; as too is being quick to listen; and slow to speak: do you live it, though?

I know: it is a very meddling question to ask; but there is good reason for this passage – and sermon – to be subtitled ‘Hearing and doing’! And the answer that we’d each give for ourselves is what matters. Either we live faith; or we don’t. As the wise James points out, it’s all too easy to have a quick glance in a mirror, and then walk away and forget what we’ve seen in there. Of course, very few of his readers would have had mirrors, 2 000 years ago. But whenever a reflection shows us something that needs attention, we each have a choice to make. To stick with the mirror analogy: are we going to go and wash our dirty face (i.e. address our anger problem); or will we deceive ourselves and pretend that we’ve not seen whatever it was?

We can’t afford to deceive ourselves about this; because our choices have real consequences. We can either choose life, James says; by actually doing what God’s Word says. Or we can choose the path that leads to death; by hurling out angry, hurtful, revengeful, vindictive words. And who here hasn’t been cut to the core by what someone else has chosen to say in an angry outburst; whether or not they really meant it? Once spoken, words can never be unsaid; and the one who has heard them will always deep down be wondering if … really. No, human anger does not produce God’s justice; all too often it does instead produce hurt, and those little deaths that wreck lives. How much better to be slow to anger – and speech – then?

At the risk of meddling even further I also need to say that of course we are at least as often the ones who are dishing out the words that lead to death. We - individually - need to take ownership of that for ourselves where it is so; to ask for God’s forgiveness; and for His help to make the changes that are necessary. I’m absolutely convinced that James would advise us to do it today; while the mirror is in front of us; but the only person who can make such a choice, and take the Godly-right action, is you. What we can each be sure of – thank God – is that Christians believe in a God who meets us 99.9% of the way there. ‘All’ it takes is making the decision; a choice to turn from, and turn to; and forgiveness and new life begins right there and then.

“My dear friends, do not deceive yourselves by just listening to his word; instead, put it into practice”, wrote James. And if you’re wondering (as I so hope you are) what that looks like, you could do far worse than taking time to pore over these verses in great detail, with a mirror to hand. And do be very practical about it, I’d suggest. But, moving on now, as we need to, to the part about being slow to speak, that applies much more widely than ‘just’ about what we do when we’re angry. It’s meant to be our general approach to life and people (even if some of us do have to preach at times!) Perhaps this is a bit crude, but it is very practical – and some might find it helpful. Someone once pointed out that God has given us 1 mouth, and 2 ears; and that we should use those in the right proportion. In my experience that’s a growth point for many of us!

Now you’ll probably be relieved to hear that I don’t plan to say too much specific about James’ advice on keeping a tight rein on the tongue. Before you get too excited, that’s not least because pretty much all of Chapter 3 covers that topic in full detail! For today, I ‘just’ want to pick up again on the wider principle. Again, it’s all about whether we are putting God’s word into practice; or if we’re not. In a sense checking the state of our tongue is another handy measure of that. A mouth that is foul in any way is not speaking God’s truth James wrote here. He used the word ‘religious’ which isn’t perhaps so helpful because of its connotations; but again our primary focus should be on whether we are deceiving ourselves; because it’s so easy to do that.

At the end of this chapter practical James once again has (very relevant) tests for Christians to apply to themselves; to see if we measure up to what we are claiming to be. And, again, here there are clear, practical, choices to be made: about what we do, and don’t do. There have been several of those so far already; and those don’t ever stop needing to be applied. So whilst “being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”, and keeping a tight rein on the tongue, Christians are also both to “keep ourselves from being polluted by the world; and to look after widows and orphans” (i.e. the most helpless in our society)! And let’s never forget that all this – and more – is what James demanded his readers live out amidst terrible persecution!

Even in the best of circumstances that many of us enjoy, we have clearly got lots of work to do: spiritually and practically; because they are one and the same. This sermon was never going to do it all for us; and it never could. It’s up to each person who claims faith to work that out for ourselves; in practical daily detail. There’s one great such opportunity at Harvest next week: a very practical chance to show God’s care for the nearby most helpless people, at Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers (http://www.sdcas.org.uk/). I hope that many people will take this up generously – and pay careful attention to what items they do, and don’t, need. I hope too that we will continue to respond prayerfully and practically to opportunities that arise through national and diocesan schemes, as well as charities helping with the ever-deepening European refugee and migrant crisis. That’s all part of us putting God’s Word into practice in the practical ways that we need to; and there are so, so many of those! We’re not to be deceived; or to deceive ourselves; but rather to do it; day in and day out; to God’s glory. So hear again the scale of the challenge, and the opportunity, as it’s presented by James here; and then resolve to meet it yourself: choice by choice; starting today. Tom Wright’s own translation of these verses read:

“So my dear brothers and sisters get this straight. Every person should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Human anger, you see, doesn’t produce God’s justice! So put away everything that is sordid, all that overflowing malice and humbly receive the word which has been planted within you and which has the power to rescue your lives.

But be people who do the word, not merely people who hear it and deceive themselves. Someone who hears the word but doesn’t do it, you see, is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror. He notices himself, but then he goes away and quickly forgets what he looks like. But the person who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and goes on with it, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer who does the deed, such a person is blessed in their doing.

If anyone supposes that they are devout, and does not control their tongue, but rather deceives their heart – such a person’s devotion is futile. As far as God the father is concerned, pure unsullied devotion works like this: you should visit orphans and widows in their sorrow, and prevent the world leaving its dirty smudge on you.”

So now go and do it: Amen!