I’m preaching from James 3:13-4:3 this Sunday. For James, wisdom is defined not as intellectual brilliance, but as doing good. True wisdom helps us to discern what is good. When we look at the things we do, we need to think about “Is this good for all? Or is this just good for me?” True wisdom produces humility.
This emphasis on humility was unpopular in first century Greco-Roman culture, just as it is in 21st century North American culture. The contemporaries of James saw humility as a groveling. Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, put is first in a list of faults to be avoided.
Can the humble succeed in life, or will people run over you if you are humble? Don’t we have to stand up for ourselves and fight for what we want?
False wisdom leads to fighting. When you fight for what you want, you’ll get fighting everywhere—from the endless wars in the Middle East, to the infighting of corporate boardrooms, to the cruelties of the school playground. “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want… you covet…, you quarrel and fight….”
About Corey Sharpe
Where do we get our beliefs?
Three theological perspectives have significantly shaped my Christian identity: Evangelicalism, the early Methodist tradition and liberation theology.
From my coming to faith in a Baptist church and throughout my education in a Baptist school and college, I was nurtured by convictions that emphasized a spiritual rebirth, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the centrality of the Bible. Even when I disagree with certain aspects of evangelicalism, it has deeply influenced my sense of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
My seminary studies spawned my interest in early Methodism, particularly its approach to spiritual formation. Its leaders were convinced that only a foundation of doctrine and discipline would lead to a meaningful transformation of the heart and mind. In other words, having the mind of Christ enables me to be more like Christ.
Life in a suburban culture obscures the increasing gap between the poor and rich, as well as the Bible’s close identification with the poor. My doctoral work in socio-cultural context exposed me to liberation theology, which helps me see redemptive history as a history of oppressed groups, written from the perspective of the powerless, about a God who is actively involved with the poor in their struggles.
I am now the pastor at Huntingtown United Methodist Church in Calvert County, Maryland. Together my wife and I are raising 4 young theologians.
The Other Six Days 