Today, we begin a 5 week series studying the letter of
James. You are invited to read the whole letter through (it’s short!) as well
as study each week’s focus passage. May our faith expand, grow, and be put into
action through the series!
We spend a lot of time in
our family discussing good listening skills. You see, we have a 3-year-old
daughter who is a regular chatterbox. She talks from the time she gets up until
she goes to bed. Her oral skills are marvelous, but her listening skills
sometimes leave something to be desired. And so we spend a lot of time talking
about “listening ears” and reminding one another to use them. The thing about
listening is that it is not a simple skill. Sometimes it is possible to listen
but not really hear what someone is saying. The book of James addresses the
idea that fully living the Christian life requires action. Actively living the
Christian life requires listening and understanding. Our passage today
specifically addresses this issue and sets the framework for the rest of
James’s theological perspective.
The 1st chapter of James
begins like many early Christian epistles. James encourages the believers to
stand firm amid persecution. This is a common theme as many 1st-century
Christians experienced persecution firsthand. The balance of the chapter deals
with the importance of really listening to the word. Verse 19 begins with an
admonition to be quick to listen and slow to speak and to anger. There is
perhaps no wiser practical verse in all scripture. The human tendency is to do
just the opposite, it seems. Verse 22 continues with instruction not merely to
listen but actually to do what the word says. “Doing” is an important concept
in James. For James, listening and even knowing what is right is not enough.
You must take your listening and knowing to the next step and do what is right.
In verse 26, the writer again cautions against the dangers of the tongue. We do
not know much about James’s situation or audience, but they must have been
experiencing a reality that many churches experience. Outside persecution can
threaten a body of believers, but inner strife, often caused by an untamed
tongue, can damage the body.
What an important message
for the church today! I have often thought that verse 19 should be etched above
the doorway at the entryway to the sanctuary. There is not a better attitude
for Christian living than that! Most church crises that I have observed or
experienced have occurred because someone was talking much more than listening.
There are several ways this is destructive to the fellowship. First, since it
is impossible to talk and listen at the same time, if you spend all of your
time talking then you probably will not hear God’s word for you. Talking busies
our mind to the point that there is not much room for peaceful contemplation with
the Lord. Talking can inhibit your relationship with Christ, which will in turn
harm the fellowship of believers.
Second, talking can
inhibit your relationship with other believers. No one wants to be in a
relationship with someone who is not a good listener. When we fail to listen
and do God’s word, we often fail to follow God’s important command to love one
another in the way that Christ loved us. Third, a failure to control your tongue
can harm your Christian witness. An effective witness is rarely one who says all
the right things, but often one who listens and cares. A nonbeliever can
actually be turned off to the gospel by one whose tongue is out of control and
used to harm others. So, your unbridled tongue may even harm the growth of the
fellowship.
The message of James for
us personally is the same message that is preached in my home on a regular
basis. Put on your listening ears! As believers we must be ready to listen and
really hear God’s word. To really listen, we must learn to control our tongues.
This is an important discipline of our faith. If we cannot gain control of something
so small but powerful, we have little hope for a productive, full Christian life.
There is a second important part of this message. “Listening ears” are not enough.
If we listen to the word, but do not do what it says, then we wasted our
listening. As a believer you can listen and know the right way but not follow
through, which is as good as not knowing at all. We must act on the word, and
put our calling as Christians in motion. Listen and do!