A Sermon on James 3: 1-12

By Donald M. Tuttle

First Christian Church, Corpus Christi, Texas

Preached September 17, 2000

Fred Phelps is a lawyer turned preacher. And each Sunday Fred gathers his small flock, many of which are his children and grandchildren, at Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. Like millions of Christians, they sing the songs of the faith, pray for God’s will to be done, and punctuate Fred’s sermons with hearty "Amens." On Sunday morning, Fred Phelps sounds like many a preacher in many a church.But it is what Fred does during the rest of the week that brings him to our attention. Fred protests. He and his flock stake out Topeka street corners and wave signs for all to see, signs of condemnation. Fred’s particular target are homosexuals, and his signs say things like: "God hates gays" and Gays are worthy of death." But Fred has other targets—anyone that disagrees with him. He has called a Topeka mayor "the anti-Christ," a district attorney a "dirt-dumb, butt-ugly and demon-possessed vixen," and a city councilwoman a prostitute, but in stronger terms. Fred has picketed the funeral of man with AIDS and the wedding of a young couple because they were using a chapel where another group Fred hates was to meet later that day.

Fred is an extreme example, but he points to a reality that is all too common. It is the reality of Christians verbally trashing others, even other Christians. Or, as James put it, blessing the Lord and God and then cursing those created in God’s image.We see it a lot in politics. A few years ago, Jerry Falwell was selling videotapes that accused President Clinton of everything from dealing drugs to murder. More recently, Jesse Jackson called Governor Bush a wolf in sheep’s clothing out to devour the poor. These ministers were using their pulpits not to address errors in the policies of those with whom they disagreed, but to tear down those with whom they differed.But we also see it in congregations. Jim was a leader in his congregation, one of those folks that had a lot of charisma, always greeted everyone as a friend, enjoyed bringing people into his circle of influence. Yet those same people would have been astounded if they would have heard how he talked about them in private. When he spoke of them, he easily threw around words like "idiot" and "ne’r do well," "loser" and "joke." There was in his voice a disdain for virtually everyone around him. He freely praised God, but just as freely condemned God’s people.Or consider the letters we read on the editorial page of the Caller Times. Now I know that is a forum that invites negativity. But many self-identified Christians seem unable to resist the invitation. Often our brothers and sisters in Christ launch Scripture-laced tirades against those who don’t share their faith--or even those who do. They praise God but condemn God’s creation.And it can happen easily enough with any of us. A few years ago we were sitting with a few friends at a Christmas party. We were away from the main cluster of folks, easily out of earshot. One member of our group made a comment about her co-worker, which led to another and to another. Everyone felt compelled to offer not just a critical comment but an almost mean one.

Now none of us embrace such verbal condemnation. We would agree with James. When he heard that some in his community of faith were denigrating others, when he heard that there were those worshipping God but tearing down those God created, he said it ought not be so. And he’s right. Christians ought not be tearing down others.But we do. And the reason we do is that we are not yet conformed to our Lord. We are still struggling between our selfish human nature and what we are to be as those who follow Jesus Christ.

James suggests this point. And I say "suggest" because he doesn’t just say: "You are not conforming to Christ." Instead he uses metaphors that convey his point. James asks: "Can a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a tree that produces sweet figs also produce bitter olives? Can a grapevine yield sweet figs?"The answer, of course, is "no." A spring produces only one type of water, a fig tree figs and a grapevine grapes. They can do no other because that is their nature. Their nature determines what comes from them.

And so it is with us. The Apostle Paul says that those who follow Christ have become a new creation. The old passes away. The new takes its place. And that new life, that new nature, is Christ in us. And Christian maturity--that is growing deeper in our faith so that more and more and more of our life is controlled by Christ in us--means that we grow less and less negative, less and less critical of others because we come to see that God loves them too.

Clearly Jesus is our best example of this. Jesus did, on occasion, have harsh words for those whose adherence to tradition spelled spiritual death for God’s people. But when the religious leaders plotted against him and had him arrested, he didn’t curse them. When the governmental authorities tried and tortured him, he didn’t trash them. When the whole of humanity crucified him, he didn’t launch into a tirade of condemnation against us. Instead, he forgave us.How could he do that? Because his very nature is that of love and grace, his very nature sees people as those God loves. And that meant his tongue was not only to bless God but to bless others. Not only was his speech going to glorify God, it was also going to lift up those created in God’s image.James himself is another example. Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, James encountered the risen Lord. And in time he became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. What brought him to such a status was not simply the fact that he was Jesus’ brother. It was his character. From what we know of James, he was a pious and peaceful man. And one of his most significant traits was his positive approach to the Jews, the same people who so many in the early church blamed for Jesus’ death. While it would have been easy for James to condemn them, to feed the fires of resentment against them, James apparently refused. His nature, a nature shaped by Christ, knew that even those who had rejected his brother and Lord were loved by God. And he could not praise the Father and tear down those the Father created.And I believe those who have grown closest to God in Christ continue to share that nature, that character. Mary, for example. There were those in her congregation that didn’t, and at times they were not only difficult but mean, even to Mary. Some of them said things about Mary’s husband that were not only untrue but cruel. Some attacked her daughter for the leading role she dared to play in the congregation. And Mary knew it. Some of it she heard directly. Some of it she overheard. Some was shared with her by others in the church. She was hurt by and among her closest friends she would reveal her pain. But Mary never returned their angry words with angry words. She never attacked them for attacking her or her family. She never responded in kind even when well-meaning friends thought she should. Of those whose words hurt her, she would say things like: "I really need to pray for him. There must be a lot of hurt inside for him to say such things." Or, "what she said hurt, but what’s to be gained by war of words?"It wasn’t that Mary was some milquetoast soul, some timid woman who accepted abuse from others. She was a strong woman who would fight the good fight for the right things. But she knew that nothing was to be gained if she blessed God and cursed those created in God’s image, nothing was to be gain if she praised God and condemned those God loved.

Speech is a powerful thing. It can bless and it can curse. It can lift up and it can tear down. It can create and it can destroy. And as Christians we are called to recognize its power and use it for the glory of God.

So let me invite you to grow this week. You have been here today to praise God. You have blessed the Lord and Creator of all. Let me know invite you to go from here to speak well of all you meet, to see in them the image of God, to honor them as those God loves. I can promise you it will not be easy. But it is the work of God and the work of God’s people.