WEDNESDAY
Yesterday and today we are looking at James 1:19-27. This again, is James’s introduction to the topics he will address later in the letter.
James 1:19–27 19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
Before we get to v. 26 a brief word on 22-25. This is one of the main themes of the whole book—hear the word and do what it says! The perfect law of liberty that James mentions (v. 25) is likely referring to the law of Christ as described in the Sermon on the Mount and the gospel by which we are saved as a whole. Now, much of Jesus’ ethical teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is an illumination of what is meant in the Old Testament Law of Moses. But, of course, Jesus changed some stuff and summarized the whole law in the two commands to love God and love one’s neighbor. James emphasizes that if we only hear the law and do not do what it says we are deceiving ourselves. We are quite good at deceiving ourselves into believing that we are more mature than we are and more obedient than we really are. We need to always be aware of this.
In v. 26 James has some rather strong words to say about the power of the tongue. When he says “religious” it doesn’t carry all of the connotations of religious implied today. It is still a good translation as it implies an expression of devotion to transcendent beings especially as expressed in official forms of worship—think churchy things like giving, church attendance, reading your Bible, praying in public, etc.
James says that a person’s official forms of worship are worthless if that person has not been changed so deeply in their heart as to control the words they speak. Note again, as we saw in Jesus’ teaching last week, the connection between the words we speak and our hearts. Jesus says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Lk. 6:45; Mt. 12:34) If we claim to be religious but do not control the words we speak we have “deceived our hearts”. There is no integrity between the heart (will, spirit) and the mouth. Again, our hearts must be transformed so that good words may flow out of us. We can hypocritically perform religious duties our entire lives without a genuinely transformed heart.
Genuine religion James says is displayed in controlling the words we say, living in holiness, and caring for the poor and powerless.
Additional Content
James uses the image of a bridle in controlling the things we say. Below is the image of how we should control our tongues when we are about to say something stupid, unloving or hurtful.
Reflection
Focus on bridling your tongue as a sincere form of religion. Speak words that are loving, kind, and true, full of goodness and producing peace. If you’re about to say something else bridle your tongue, or in our language hit the breaks.