James 1:19-27 – Slow Down and Focus
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:
everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore,
get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept
the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do
what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever
look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not
forgetting what they have heard but doing it – they will be blessed in what
they do.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
The author begins and ends in similar topics: human anger
and loose speech. And in the middle section James gives the reason with the use
of imagery. In the First Century, the people were oppressed by the Roman government.
It would have been easy for human anger to lead to a violent reaction. James
knew this when he wrote this passage. When we react, it is more times than not going
to come from an imperfect human response. Slow down. Note that James avoids saying,
“do not get angry.” He says to “listen, [be] slow to speak and slow to become
angry.” As imperfect beings, it is easy to display unrighteous anger. God’s
anger is anger against injustice. (Proverbs 6:17 and 17:15) God desires justice.
When our desires abide with his, then when we become angry – as we slow down
– we are more apt to know that the anger is against an injustice. This is why James
concludes the first part of this passage with “get rid of all moral filth and
the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which
can save you.” In other words, confess our imperfection and susceptibility toward
erroneous reactive human anger, and in humility rely on the direction God has
provided in his word. James then reminds the reader that it is his word “which
can save you,” not only in salvation (John 3:16), but also – in the context of
the passage – from the destructive nature of human anger. Returning to the oppression
of Rome, there was a myriad of injustices. But James urged the opposite of human
anger. As individuals, there is a time to voice opposition against such injustice
– but with peace. A modern-day example is the Peace Prayers in Leipzig, Germany
in the 1980s, as hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets to
demonstrate peacefully against the oppressive Soviet reign. By November 1989
the Berlin Wall fell and soon thereafter democracy was restored with the result
of a unified Germany. The people were urged by the courage of a few pastors – who
taught peace and the power of prayer – to slow down and focus. Focus on God’s
direction. (Even in war, human anger should be avoided. The key is to focus on
God’s direction with regard to the injustice in which a nation or nations are
fighting against – e.g.: the injustice of the Third Reich.)
James continues to emphasize this point by urging the reader
to put the word into action. He then uses – with an obvious, and dare I say,
comical – imagery of a person who looks into a mirror then forgets what he or
she looks like. We can all close our eyes and picture our own face. The same should
occur when reading God’s word – his instruction manual. The Psalmist David wrote
in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you.” So should we memorize – and do. Slow down. Focus on what God would
have us do and enjoy the freedom that only his instruction manual can provide. The
law cannot save (Romans 7:13-24). But James reminds us God’s “perfect law that gives
freedom” is the freedom from the “filth” which can lead to a destructive
lifestyle – including the downward spiraling path of human anger. Proverbs
14:17 tells us that human anger leads to hate, “A man of quick temper acts
foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.” James concludes the middle
section of this passage with a promise, if we take what we have heard and read
and actually do it, “[we] will be blessed in what [we] do.” This is a direct
reference to what Jesus said to his disciples when they were just northwest of
the Sea Galilee, “… and he [God], will reward each person according to what
they have done.” (Matthew 16:27b)
James bookends this passage by reminding the reader – and
with a focus on the religious person – to keep a “tight rein on their tongues.”
If a religious person displays human anger (or gossip or slander, etc.), then
his or her poor example nullifies the very beliefs he or she has read – and has
even spoken to others – but has not done. Again, this behavior is not righteous
in God’s eyes as James states, “their religion is worthless.” The follower of Jesus
is to “humbly accept the word,” which is why human anger, and a loose tongue comes
from pride. Only in humility can we know God’s concerns. “…to look after
orphans and widows in their distress.” At the time, orphans and widows were “the
least of these.” (Matthew 25:31-46) These were the people who suffered the most
injustice. The less privileged in our modern society are of God’s concern. If
we abide in him, then they become our concern. And we are not just to listen, but
we as followers of Jesus, do something and serve. Lastly, James urges the
reader to “keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Just as the Apostle
John wrote when Jesus said that his followers are “in the world but not of the
world.” (John 17:14b). It’s interesting that prior to this statement Jesus
said, “I have given them your [God’s] word, and the world has hated them,
because they are not of the world...” (John 17:14a) Being of the world and its
deception can cause a person to get angry with the instructions of God – his word.
It is this very attitude which can lead to the injustices throughout the world.
As followers of Jesus, we are to abide in his word in order to conform to his
image (Romans 8:29-30). Therefore, slow down, avoid human anger and worthless religion,
and focus on the concerns of God: caring for others in love, grace and truth.
In Ephesians 4:15-16 the Apostle Paul writes, “… speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up [some versions use the word “mature”] in every way in to him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body [of followers] joined and held together at every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, make the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
