The Second Reading for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost in the Year of Mark is James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a, where we see the writer return to the subject of wisdom. What is godly wisdom? That is the writer's question. Clearly known is what godly wisdom is not. The final admonitions are where the preacher will be drawn: submit to God; resist the devil; draw near to God and God will draw near to you. This summary might be a fine outline for a fine sermon.
(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive but are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions which explore other concerns. These questions have been formulated to answer the question of how the Word is functioning in the text, a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers. For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock. com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? There is little doubt that the primary function of the Word in this text is Law. The strife and jealousy that apparently exists in this community is lifted up, as well as the ungodly desires that members hold in their hearts. All of this creates disorder and every evil. Submit yourselves to God, cries the writer. Stop behaving as children of the devil!
2. How is the Word not functioning in the text? Is the Gospel present at all in this text? Perhaps the only hint of it is in the last phrase: Draw near to God and God will draw near to you. This last line suggests that God's mercy is indeed everlasting.
3. With whom are you identifying in the text? As members of Christian community ourselves, we are those being addressed here. We are those who know strife within ourselves and amongst the body of Christ. We are being addressed here.
4. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? This entire text could be considered a call to obedience if one discounted the tone. A call to obedience is the Word inviting us to live in a certain way in response to God's work in Christ. This text is certainly that.
5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Without any Gospel present in this text, we must imagine pairs to go with the Law vocabulary we are given. Some suggestions: false wisdom/wisdom from above; wickedness/righteousness; cravings/fullness.
6. Exegetical work: Bede the Venerable, the 7th century monk, whose wisdom has been sited down through the ages, has this to say about the wisdom of James: "For someone who lives in a humble and wise way will give more evidence of his standing before God than any number of words could ever do." And again: "Draw near to God in humility, by walking in his footsteps, and he will draw near to you in his mercy, setting you free from anxiety." (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. XI, pp. 42, 49). Reformation giant, John Calvin, also weighs in on this text: "They, then, are alone wise in the sight of God who connect this meekness with an honest conduct of life; for they who are severe an inexorable, though they may excel others in many virtues, do not yet follow the right way of wisdom." (Reformation Commentary on Scripture, NT., vol. XIII, pp. 243-44). Finally, modern scholar, Pheme Perkins, unpacks the critical notion of submitting to God, reminding one of the Gospel call to be willing to lose one's life in order to save it. She speaks to the context into which James is writing: "The earlier discussion of rich and poor indicated that Christians continued to act out the prejudices of their society. They have not traded in worldly views of power and importance for God's viewpoint. The Christian community should not provide another forum for human jealousy and ambition to work themselves out." (Interpretation series, First and Second Peter, James, and Jude, p. 121).
7. How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? Carolyn Schneider, in her 2014 analysis, provides a simple way of speaking Law and Gospel into this text. She breaks this text up into phrases from the text; The Wisdom that does not come from God and The Wisdom (Jesus) that does come from God. Go to crossings.org/text-study for the whole analysis.
Blessings on your proclamtion!
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