James 4.11-12

Wisdom Revealed in Test Cases (James 4.11-5.20)

This is all really good stuff, great ideas, I like the thought, to “think heavenly”, but does it really work? This is what some of you may be thinking right about now. Or you may be thinking, “how does this work? What does this look like in specifics?” And James would respond by saying, “I’m glad you asked.” The last chapter and a half of this book, James sets out to show how thinking heavenly works in day to day life, in the specifics. He uses seven test cases, each of which hits very close to home. The first test case that James wants to talk about is Judgment. 

Test Case #1: Wisdom in Judging (James 4.11-12)

11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

How does speaking evil against your brother set yourself up as judging the law? What an audacious claim that James is making. This is a serious deal. So let’s dive in and find out exactly what is going on here.

First, James uses the word “speak against”. That is a very literal translation of the Greek word katalalein. It is a compound word, which the kata means “against”, and the verb, laleo, or lalein, means “to speak”. It is usually in the context of speaking against someone behind their back, when they are not around to defend themselves. This sin of speaking against someone is condemned all throughout the Bible. 

20 You speak continually against your brother 

   and slander your own mother’s son. (Psalm 50.20)

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
   him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
   him will I not endure. (Psalm 101.5)

29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1.29-31)

20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12.20)

It is the sin you find in the church that no one really tries to put out or cares that its around, and yet, it tends to do the most damage. It is the sin that takes the form of prayer requests, of “information” of the baby’s parents so that we know how to take care of the babies better. It is rampant among our nursery workers, leadership meetings, locker rooms and shopping sprees. And it must be stopped. Why? Because it is idolatry. 

Idolatry??!! Really??!! Yes. Think about why we gossip and slander others. Who are we serving? Our earthly desires. When we tell that gossip secret or slander someone, we do it to scratch our own itch of power. We love seeing the face of the person we are “filling in” on the know. Their eyes get big, their mouths drop, and they join in with you on the slander and gossip. And for that split second, you feel powerful. You feel above the person you just leaked that secret or rumor or slander to. “I’m in the know, they aren’t.” When we gossip and slander, it is out of self-promoting, I’m the king of my life desires. And it is sin. It is saying, “I’m equal to God, I can judge just how God judges.” 

As the church, the physical representation of Jesus’ presence here on earth, we MUST eradicate gossip and slander from our lives. We must allow the wisdom of God to guide us to silence and to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesians 4.29). 

So SHUT UP!!!! Keep your mouths closed. Submit to God as the just judge, and allow him to judge the pagan and sinful. All we are called to do is make disciples, not judge pagans. I promise you that if you follow this wisdom and humbly submit to it, God will bring about life not only in your own life, but in the lives of the people around you.