Thoughts on James: 1:19-21 (Part II)

¹⁹ You must understand this, my beloved:^[a] let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; ²⁰ for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. ²¹ Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. (Jam. 1:19-21 NRSV)

So we should be quick to open our ears. quick to shut our mouths, and slow to show ourselves; this is so we do not produce self-righteous attitudes and lifestyles.

So, James says we need to do two more things: 1) rid ourselves of sordidness and rank growth of wickedness and 2) welcome with meekness the implanted word.

Whatever sordidness and rank growth of wickedness is, we are to rid ourselves of it.

According to www.dictionary.reference.com, sordidness is the following:

Sordidness involves immorality, selfishness, filthiness, and is a description for abject poverty. This reflects well with James’ early comments about reacting poorly to the persecution that was inflicted upon his flock. The reaction of self-righteous anger and cursing is not the appropriate response. The phrase “rank growth of wickedness,” amplifies what has previously been said: open your ears, close your mouth, let go of the anger, and dump the immoral self-righteousness attitude. Rank growth of wickedness (love the NRSV’s rendering) is what occurs when this poisonous mindset toward suffering occurs.

That’s why it is necessary to accept the word of God with meekness.  Meekness is strength under control; in this context it is feeling the indignation over the suffering but yet not letting the indignation guide your response and mindset. Instead we do as the Apostle Paul prescribes in Romans 12:1-2,

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters,by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  ² Do not be conformed to this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

It is the word of God that causes the renewing of our minds toward suffering; my initial reaction may be to protect myself and look out for my own well-being, but when I read the Scripture, I am informed about the attitude of God toward suffering. All I have to do is look at Jesus’ response to his enemies, what did he do? He forgave them. He prayed for them. He holds back his wrath against them so that they might be saved.

That is a transformational outlook. James claims that this has the power to save our souls. The word of God is the poetic, though clear presentation of how God is saving a people for himself. When we decide to let the word of God cleanse our minds of sordid perspectives, then we are truly being perfected, we are being saved. And this is important, because the worldly attitude toward suffering is to neutralize it (one of the reasons Buddhism is so popular, even with atheists). However, James says that God wants to save us through our suffering; God wants to save us from the world, from the need to live, from a desperation to preserve what is ours at all costs.

God wants to use his word of salvation to save us from ourselves.