Two Kinds of Wisdom

Well, good morning, church.

It's good to have you joining us this morning, whether you're at home or you're here in the sanctuary.

Our sermon passage today is James chapter 3, verses 13 through 18.

James 3:13–18

James chapter 3, verses 13 through 18.

James 3:13–18

We've been walking through the book of James this summer, and we're going to continue doing that today.

Let me pray, and then I'll read this passage for us.

Let's pray together.

Our Father, we confess that in our own human reason and understanding, God, the things of you remain dark and cloudy.

But we thank you that by the gift of your Spirit, you come and you give light to our minds,

and more importantly, you bring light to our hearts and to our wills, that we might embrace all that you are.

And to do just what we've sung, to worship your holy name.

Your name, who you've revealed yourself to be.

And all of your grace and majesty and justice.

Oh, Lord, would you come through this passage that we're about to read and meditate on this morning.

Would you come and do just that?

Empower our hearts to worship your holy name and to live lives as a result that are honoring to your name.

We ask this in Christ's name.

Amen.

All right.

James 3, verses 13 through 18.

James 3:13–18

Let me read this for us.

Who is wise and understanding among you?

By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,

full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

So what does real wisdom look like?

That's what James wants us to consider in the text before us.

Picture in your mind maybe someone who embodies wisdom.

What do they look like to you?

Are they an old scholar, a wise sage with a big gray beard?

But keep in mind, in the Bible, wisdom means something more than just intelligence or learning.

Wisdom actually means something more like skill.

The skill of living life as it was meant to be lived.

Now that includes knowledge, but it means a lot more.

It's like a sailor who knows how to read the winds and the waves,

and she can position her sails and her rudder just right to bring the ship safely home through the storm.

That's biblical wisdom.

Or the weaver who can bring all the threads together to make a beautiful whole.

That's the sense of wisdom.

Not just knowledge, but living skillfully in God's world.

And for James here in chapter 3, this is a very practical question.

It's a very practical question for us as a church.

Because as the context of chapter 3 and 4 show us,

in the communities to whom James was writing,

conflict and dissension were on the rise.

As external pressures mounted around them,

perhaps trial, hardship, economic oppression,

as those things happened around these young churches,

internally conflict started to rise up.

In verses 1 through 12 of chapter 3,

what we looked at last week,

James has been talking about the power and the danger of the uncontrolled tongue.

And from chapter 3, verse 1,

it seems that the problem even involved their teachers, their leaders,

some of whom were perhaps claiming to be wise.

But what really is wisdom?

And as we seek to be the church today,

what should it look like for us to be wise?

Now remember, for James, in this book of James,

his vision of the church is that it's meant to be the first fruit of God's new creation.

Remember that from chapter 1, verse 18?

We've been brought forth by the word of truth, the gospel,

into new life.

We've been brought forth by the word of truth

in order to live out what James calls the law of liberty,

the law of love.

But as we follow that call,

a question comes.

What sort of wisdom

are we going to employ?

What sort of wisdom

are we going to use

as we seek to live out

the church calling

that we have?

Because you see in our text,

James describes not just one,

but two kinds of wisdom.

There's one from below

and there's one from above.

He makes a contrast.

He makes a distinction

between two kinds of wisdoms.

Why?

Because here's James' big idea

in our text.

He's essentially saying

we cannot be

a heavenly people

and live according to earthly wisdom.

The church cannot be

a heavenly people,

the people it's meant to be,

the new creation,

and live according to earthly wisdom.

The way we do life,

our skill

in living,

in leading,

our practical approach

to everyday matters

and to being together

in community,

it has to be different,

James says.

So let's take a look

at these two kinds of wisdom.

James says there's a wisdom

from below

and there's a wisdom

from above

and for each one

he's actually going to show us

three things

about these two kinds of wisdom.

For each one

he's going to show us

first its nature,

what it's like,

and then second

he's going to show us

its source,

where it's from,

and then third

he's going to show us

the results,

what it brings.

So first,

let's look at the wisdom

from below.

James starts off

this text by saying,

who is wise

and understanding

among you?

Then he says something

that just sounds

so James,

doesn't it?

Let them prove it,

not by their intellect,

not by their credentials,

but by their life.

Not just their work too,

not just their conduct,

but also their character.

He says,

real wisdom is seen

in good conduct,

brought forth

in humility.

But James is kind of

jumping ahead there.

First,

he wants us to see

what this false wisdom,

this wisdom from below

looks like.

So in verse 14,

he begins with his three points.

He says,

okay,

here's what it's like,

here's its character,

here's its traits,

he says,

if you have

bitter jealousy

and selfish ambition

in your hearts,

do not boast

and be false to the truth.

Bitter jealousy

and selfish ambition.

Now bitter jealousy,

that's the sort of thing

that says,

I want what you have.

And selfish ambition says,

I'm willing to divide

and conquer

in order to get it.

In fact,

that phrase,

selfish ambition,

means something like

using divisive means

to promote

your own interests.

You exploit rivalry

or develop a kind of

party spirit

in order to get ahead.

Now,

I'm imagining

that very few of us

walk around

explicitly saying,

I want what you have

and I'm willing

to divide and conquer

to get it.

I've never had

that kind of conversation

with someone.

But notice,

James says,

in your hearts.

What's underneath

your words

and your actions?

Take, for example,

maybe a Christian leader.

On the surface,

they might be teaching

true things.

Even putting forward

what seems like

a great concern

for God's kingdom.

But underneath,

they can be driven

by jealousy.

A desire

to want to be

the biggest

and the best.

To get the praise

that other ministries

or ministers receive.

And along with that,

they can be driven

by selfish ambition.

They could cast

dispersion

on whole groups.

They could create

an us-versus-them

mentality

in order to get ahead.

And now,

here's the danger.

On the surface,

that sort of approach

can produce

what looks like,

at first,

good results.

The word is preached.

The church grows.

People's lives

are impacted

for the good.

But James says,

don't boast

and be false

to the truth.

And by truth here,

he probably means

the same thing

that he meant

back in chapter 1,

verse 18,

when he talks about

the word of truth,

which is the gospel.

In other words,

if underneath

what drives you

or characterizes you

is jealousy

and selfish ambition,

then you're actually

betraying the truth

of the gospel itself.

But this isn't just

a problem

for Christian leaders.

It's a problem

for all of us.

And James is talking

to all of us.

From the classroom

to the workplace

to our neighborhoods,

in any sphere,

jealousy

and selfish ambition

can be

what drives us.

I want what you have

and I'll do what

it takes to get it.

And again,

in the beginning,

it can look like

it's working.

We move to the top

of the class,

we get the promotion

at work,

we get elected

for an office,

but deep down,

we're being false

to the truth.

Because as James shows us

in the next verse,

verse 15,

we need to realize

the source

of this so-called wisdom.

He's just shown us

what it's like

in verse 14.

Now,

in verse 15,

he shows us

where it's from.

Verse 15,

this is not the wisdom

that comes down

from above,

but is earthly,

unspiritual,

demonic.

Whoa.

James does not pull

any punches

in this book,

does he?

Each of these three words,

earthly,

unspiritual,

demonic,

they each describe

different aspects

of the created order

without any reference

to God.

Take earthly,

or what James

and other New Testament

writers elsewhere

call the world.

Now,

that is our corporate

or our social

or our structural

life together

without reference

to God.

Take the word

unspiritual,

that's our personal

life

without reference

to God.

Then,

demonic,

of course,

that's the spiritual

world

without reference

to God.

How tragic

that people

claiming to be

the church,

claiming to be

God's new creation

in their practical

everyday lives

can be living

according to the wisdom

of the very opposite.

Now,

you might be thinking,

demonic?

That's a little harsh,

isn't it?

But do you remember

in the Gospels

when Jesus turns

to his disciples

and he says,

who do people

say that I am?

And the disciples

say,

well,

some people are

saying this

and some people

are saying that.

And then Jesus

says,

well,

who do you say

that I am?

And then Peter,

speaking for all

the rest,

says,

Jesus,

you're the Christ,

you're the Messiah,

you're the Son

of the living God.

And at that moment,

what does Jesus

teach them about next?

Now that they're

professing him

to be the Son of God,

what does he go on

to tell them

and to teach them?

At that moment,

he starts teaching them

about the cross,

that he must be

delivered over

to the authorities

and crucified.

And then what does

Peter say?

He rebukes Jesus,

right?

He says,

Jesus,

no way,

this is not

a winning strategy.

Messiahs don't

get crucified.

This is not

the plan.

And then Jesus

says,

get behind me,

Satan.

You see,

Peter wanted

the Messiah

to come

and divide

and conquer.

Jesus had come,

however,

to make peace

by the blood

of his cross.

Peter's wisdom

in that moment

was from below,

earthly,

unspiritual,

and according

to Jesus himself,

demonic.

Of course,

Jesus' wisdom

looked like foolishness

in the eyes

of the world.

And in that moment,

it looked like foolishness

in the eyes

of the disciples,

too.

But what they

would soon find out

is that the cross

is actually

the wisdom of God

and the very power

of God.

God's wisdom

is the truth.

But what does this

wisdom from below

result in?

We've seen what it's like.

We've seen where it's from.

What's the outcome?

Now,

we've already said

that in the short term,

this wisdom from below

can produce

what looks like success.

But what about

in the long run?

Verse 16.

James says,

for where jealousy

and selfish ambition

exist,

there will be

disorder

and every

vile practice.

Disorder.

Chaos.

Churches will splinter

and split.

People will be torn apart.

Communities will be torn apart.

Communities will turn

against one another

and implode.

Disorder.

And then he says

every vile

or every evil practice.

What will be on the rise?

Selfishness.

Malice.

Gossip.

Greed.

Discrimination.

Apathy.

That's what the real

end result is.

You see,

sometimes we foolishly think

that the ends

justify the means.

But what James

is telling us here

is that the ends

will never escape

the means.

the means

that we use

will be the ends

in the long run

that we produce.

Eugene Peterson

puts it this way,

paraphrasing verse 16.

He says,

whenever you're trying

to look better

than others,

that is jealousy,

or get the better

of others,

selfish ambition,

things fall apart

and everyone

ends up

at the other's

throats.

Whenever you're

trying to look

better than others

or get the better

of others,

things fall apart

and everyone

ends up

at the other's

throats.

So that's the wisdom

from below.

But thankfully,

James doesn't

stop there.

We don't

have to stay

in the wisdom

that's characterized

by trying to look

better than others

and get the better

of others.

You see,

the good news is

there's another

kind of wisdom.

There's a wisdom

from above.

A wisdom

whose source

is God himself.

As James says

in chapter 1,

verse 17,

James says,

every good

and perfect gift

is from above,

coming down

from the Father

of lights.

That's the source.

That's where

this wisdom

is from.

But what does

this wisdom

look like?

And what does

it result in?

Let's look first

at what it looks

like.

Verse 17,

but the wisdom

from above,

James says,

is first pure,

then peaceable,

gentle,

open to reason,

full of mercy

and good fruits,

impartial

and sincere.

Now,

James is sort

of like a word

artist

at this moment.

He's sort of

painting a picture

with these words.

In the Greek text,

there's lots of

alliteration,

there's lots of

assonance among

these words.

They sort of sound

like they're strung

together.

And that would

have made this list

of virtues

very memorable

and very powerful

to the original

listeners.

So what James

is trying to do

here is he's

trying to paint

a picture of the

heart of true

wisdom,

of God's wisdom.

And we won't

be able to

unpack every

stroke of that

painting that

he's doing here,

but let's just

focus on the

first two words.

First pure,

then peaceable.

Now,

when something

is pure,

it's clean,

right?

There's honesty,

there's integrity

to it.

There's nothing

that's sort of

diminishing it

or weakening it.

Think of metal

ore that's been

dug out of the

earth.

And then it gets

put into a fire

and the dross,

the impurities,

are kind of

burned away.

And the pure

metal that comes

out is not just

more brilliant,

but it's also

more resilient.

It's stronger.

So this wisdom

from above

is first of all

pure.

It has no

mixed motives.

It has no

conflicting

agendas.

In other

words,

it's not

riddled

with the

bitter

jealousies

of the

old wisdom

from below.

Beneath

that old

wisdom,

that old

wisdom from

below,

was the

fear and

pride of

how I

looked before

others,

comparing

myself to

others,

wanting to

be better

than others,

wanting to

be praised

by others.

But the

wisdom from

above is

free of

all that.

It's

pure.

more.

The other

word that

James gives

for this

kind of

purity is

found back

in verse

13 where

he calls

it the

meekness

of wisdom.

In the

Old Testament,

this word

meekness does

not mean

cowardice or

passivity.

It means

being set

free from

our anxious

self-promotion.

It means

genuine

humility.

It means

being free

from our

obsession

with the

self.

Can you

imagine

living a

life without

the constant

undercurrent of

wanting to

promote yourself?

Without that

constant anxiety

of self-assessment

and self-comparison

and self-regard?

Can you

imagine a

life lived

rather,

in the

purity of

genuine

humility?

Wouldn't

that be

wisdom

indeed?

To not

be enslaved

to your

desire to

be seen,

to be praised,

to be

acknowledged,

but release

from all

that to

live a

life of

love

toward

others?

Socrates

apparently

called

jealousy

an

ulcer

of the

soul.

Imagine

the deep

burning

pain

of

self-interest

at last

being

healed.

What would

that be

like?

Well,

James says

it's first

pure,

then it's

peaceable.

That's what

it starts to

look like.

Freed from

jealousy,

we become

peaceable.

if the

wisdom

from

below

is

characterized

by selfish

ambition

of dividing

and conquering,

of trying

to get

the better

of others,

the wisdom

from above

is characterized

by peace.

But peace

here doesn't

mean merely

the absence

of fear

or worry

or conflict.

Peace in the

Bible means

wholeness.

It's the

fabric of

creation

in all

its right

relationships

flourishing

together.

To say

then that

wisdom

is peaceable

means that

it is

driven

to make

things whole

again,

to make

things right

again,

to give

birth to

what the

Hebrew Bible

calls

shalom.

To mend

this torn

fabric of

relationships,

of communities,

of creation.

First pure,

then peaceable.

That's what

true wisdom

looked like.

But you know

in the short

term,

it often

doesn't seem

like it

works,

does it?

A wisdom

that is pure

then peaceable

doesn't often

make a snappy

headline.

The work

of peace

doesn't often

garner

promotions,

or win

elections

in the same

way that

jealousy and

selfish ambition

can.

In fact,

like Peter,

we can sometimes

look at the

wisdom from

above that's

first pure

then peaceable

and say,

that's not

going to work,

Jesus.

This is the

real world

down here.

But look at

what James

says in

verse 18.

verse 18.

And a

harvest of

righteousness

is sown in

peace by

those who

make peace.

A harvest

of righteousness.

righteousness.

Have you

ever been

in a field

or in

an orchard

maybe that's

ready to

harvest?

My family

likes to

pick fruit

at Bishop's

Orchard up

the shoreline.

But here's

the thing.

If you look

at an apple

orchard out

of season

before the

harvest,

you might be

a little

underwhelmed.

I remember

the first time

I went to

an orchard

and I

expected that

these massive

apples would

come from

massive trees,

right?

And I

showed up

and the

only thing

that was

planted

were these

like stubby

pruned back

kind of

things.

And I

thought,

what's

going to

come out

of that?

They're so

much shorter,

they're so

much smaller

than I

expected.

I had

crabapple

trees at

home that

are bigger

than that.

What's

going to

come of

that little

tree?

But then

the harvest

comes and

those seemingly

little trees

are covered

in fruit.

You see,

friends,

the wisdom

from above

is like that.

The wisdom

that's first

pure,

then peaceable,

it doesn't

seem like

much at

first.

It might

even seem

like a

losing

cause.

But a

harvest of

righteousness

is sown

in peace

by those

who make

peace.

It may

take time.

It may

seem like

there are

setbacks,

but the

harvest

will come.

I think

it's worth

asking then,

what kind

of church

do we

want to

be?

What kind

of church

do we

want to

see?

What kind

of families

and communities

do we

want to

see?

What kind

of city

do we

want to

see?

Do we

want to

see increasing

righteousness

and justice?

It doesn't

come through

worldly

wisdom.

It will

come as

we sow

peace and

make peace.

But keep

in mind,

being a

peacemaker

is different

than being a

peacekeeper.

Have you

heard that

distinction

before?

Some of you

have.

There's a

difference between

peacemaking and

peacekeeping.

keeping the

peace often

means avoiding

conflict,

appeasing

people,

supporting the

status quo,

not rocking

the boat.

That's not

what James

means.

That's not

what Jesus

means when

he says

blessed are

the peacemakers.

Peacemaking

means striving

for real

wholeness,

real shalom.

Peacemaking

means confrontation

at times.

Peacemaking

may mean,

as one writer

put it,

temporarily

disrupting a

community in

order to deal

with root

problems so

that genuine

peace may

ensue.

Sometimes a

friendship,

sometimes a

marriage,

sometimes a

church,

sometimes a

community needs

to be disrupted

in order to

deal with root

problems so

that genuine

peace can come.

peace can come

from the

people.

But remember,

even the

sometimes

confrontational

and disruptive

work of

peacemaking

is still done

in humility,

in purity,

and in love.

So these are

the two kinds

of wisdom

then.

Wisdom

from below

and wisdom

from above.

And James

has shown us

the nature

and the source

and the results

of each.

But you know,

before we leave

this passage,

I think we've

got to ask,

how do we get

that second

kind of wisdom?

How do we get

this wisdom

from above?

Because

oftentimes my

natural default

is the wisdom

from below.

Well,

first we need

to ask for it.

If any of you

lacks wisdom,

James writes

in chapter 1,

let him ask

God,

who gives

generously to

all without

reproach,

and it will

be given

to him.

We need

to ask

for it.

Of course

this makes

total sense,

right?

If the wisdom

from above

is God's

wisdom,

then we have

to go to

God to get

it.

We have

to be humble

enough to ask

for it

and realize

that we can't

produce it on

our own.

But, you know,

we can also

be bold

and confident

when we ask

for it

because God

promises to

give generously

to all

without reproach.

So we need

to ask for it.

We need to ask

for this wisdom

in prayer.

And second,

we need to

start practicing

it.

Remember,

wisdom isn't

just knowledge,

right?

It's living.

I don't know

if you've ever

driven a car

without power

steering,

or when

the power

steering

goes out.

My grandfather

had a very

old Buick

when I was

growing up

and sometimes

the power

steering

wouldn't always

work so well

in the Buick.

When the power

steering goes out

in your car,

it is almost

impossible

to turn the

wheel

when the car

isn't moving.

But once the

car starts

moving,

it gets a

whole lot

easier.

You see,

wisdom's kind

of like that.

Once the car

starts moving,

once we start

practicing what

we know,

then in the

living,

we grow more

and more

wise.

Now that can

be hard for

some of us.

Some of us

like to have

all the things

figured out

ahead of time.

We want to

know exactly

how and if

it will work.

But in order

to grow in

wisdom,

we need to

begin.

We need to

begin making

peace.

peace.

And little

by little,

you'll become

more and

more of a

peacemaker.

Because here's

what's going

to happen

once you

start living

into it.

For Christians,

the Holy Spirit

is going to

start showing

you when

you need

to be gentle,

when you

need to be

open to

reason,

when you

need to be

full of

mercy and

good fruits,

when you

need to be

impartial,

when you

need to be

particularly

sincere.

And the

Holy Spirit

is also going

to start

showing you

as you put

it into

practice,

where you

failed,

and where

you need to

seek forgiveness

and try

again.

You know,

a good

practice is

to end

every day,

or to end

most days,

with a few

minutes of

prayer.

End every

day with a

few minutes

of prayer,

asking the

Spirit to

guide your

thoughts over

the previous

day.

Invite the

Holy Spirit

to come and

just think

with you,

to lead your

thoughts over

the previous

day.

you've just

lived.

And then

ask Him to

show you

where you've

been responding

to His

leading.

And to

give thanks

for that.

To give

thanks for

when the

Spirit gave

you some

of these

gifts of

peacemaking

and gentleness

and openness

to reason,

etc.

And then

ask the

Holy Spirit

to show you

where you

didn't respond

so well.

And confess

that.

And then

pray for

His leading

and His

power for

the coming

day to

help you

keep in

step with

Him,

to keep

in step

with the

Spirit.

You know,

if we're

practicing

that kind

of prayer,

that's going

to help

us grow

in the

practice

of

peacemaking.

So we

need to

ask for

it.

And we

need to

begin

practicing

it.

But the

last thing,

we need

to receive

it.

Here's what

I mean.

You see,

the wisdom

from above

is first

of all

pure,

James

says.

And there's

only one

way for

foolish and

flawed people

like us

to be

pure.

there's

only one

way to

be liberated

from the

jealousy that

wants to

look better

than others.

There's

only one

way to

be set

free from

the selfish

ambition that

wants to

get the

better of

others.

The only

way to

be set

free from

all of

that is

through what

God has

done in

Jesus.

You see,

Jesus was

the one who

was truly

wise.

in him

are hidden

all the

treasures of

wisdom and

knowledge,

Paul writes

in Colossians.

You know,

read the

Gospels for

yourself and

you will

find that

James'

kind of

impressionistic

portrait here

in verse 17,

pure,

peaceable,

gentle,

open to

reason,

full of

mercy and

good fruits,

impartial,

sincere.

It's really

the portrait

of Christ.

And only

when we see

what Jesus

did for us

will we

be set free

from jealousy

and ambition.

Only when you

see how much

he loved

you,

dying on

the cross,

the wise

one dying

for the

foolish,

when you

see that,

that he did

that for

you and

that he

loves you,

then you

won't need

so much to

look better

before others

anymore.

And when

you see him

rising again

in victory

over sin

and death

for you,

well,

suddenly that

releases you

from the

need to

get the

better of

others.

Because in

him,

through his

death and

resurrection,

no matter how

sinful or

broken you

might be,

in him,

you're pure.

In him,

you are

victorious.

In him,

you're seated

with him

in the right

hand,

at the right

hand of

the Father.

And when

you start

living like

all of that

is true,

when you

start living

united to

Christ through

faith,

knowing that

his death

has cleansed

you and

his resurrection

has rescued

you,

then we'll

start to be

truly wise

with the

wisdom from

above.

Proverbs 13,

20 says,

whoever walks

with the wise

becomes wise.

Whoever walks

with the wise

becomes wise.

So,

friends,

if Jesus is

the ultimately

wise one,

the one in

whom all the

treasures of

wisdom and

knowledge are

found,

then only

by trusting

and walking

with him

and receiving

it from him

will we

become truly

wise.

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

what a

convicting

passage this

is for us.

Lord,

too often

our wisdom

is characterized

by selfish

ambition and

jealousy.

Would you

forgive us

for that

this morning?

would you

expose in

our hearts

where that

is true

and we

don't see

it?

And,

Jesus,

would you

forgive our

pride that

wants to

try to do

it on our

own?

And would

you humble

us by your

spirit and

teach us to

ask and

to act and

to receive?

Lord,

would you

make us a

people that

are wise with

the wisdom

from above?

Make us

pure and

peaceable.

Lord,

we long to

see a

harvest of

righteousness.

Rebuke us

when our

means are

from below.

Help us to

be peacemakers

with the wisdom

from above,

we pray.

Amen.