“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.” James 3:13-18 ESV
In this passage, Apostle James calls us to evaluate how we think about wisdom, especially regarding any who would seek to be considered “wise and understanding” in the church. If we were to ask what kind of traits show a lack of wisdom (without having this passage in front of us of course), bitter jealousy and selfish ambition would probably not show up at the top of the list. But here they are, and they remind us what greatness looks like in Christ’s kingdom.
For we remember what Jesus himself said to his disciples after it was requested that James (a different James) and John would be granted to sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom. We read in Matthew 20:24b-28:
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
James teaches us in this passage that this holds true for wisdom as well.
Indeed, this makes sense. For we are told by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:3 that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Notice how well the character of Christ fits the traits that James gives concerning the wisdom from above. Notice too how jealousy and selfish ambition are so contrary to the way of Christ we read about in Philippians 2:1-8. Christ did not sacrifice others in the pursuit of his own interests. Instead he went to the cross to sacrifice himself in pursuit of our interest, our good. And we are to follow his example and his way of thinking.
So the question of the Apostle stands before us. Have you drunk deeply from the wisdom of Christ? Is your learning from the one who brought himself low and died to save his enemies? Are you walking in “the meekness of wisdom”? Or, if you are really honest, do you still find yourself lacking in this kind of wisdom?
It is at this point, as we recognize our lack of wisdom, that we recall the invitation made in chapter one of this epistle. For in verse five we read:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Where else can we go to gain the wisdom from above if not God our heavenly Father? And as we go to God for this heavenly wisdom, let us do so in faith. Before we can really see Christ’s sacrifice as an example for us to follow, we must see and believe that Christ’s sacrifice truly was “for us” to reconcile us to God. It is on the basis of our faith in the sacrificial work of Christ on our behalf that we then have an example to follow and the confidence to ask God for the wisdom to follow it.