Sermon - Cantate 2023 - James 1:16-21

19th Century windows in the Evangelische Stadtkirche Ravensburg with inscription from Psalm 133:1

God’s implanted word replaces the anger and wickedness of our hearts.

1. Anger and quarrels are common among man.

2. We are to be different because we are brought forth by the word of truth.

3. The word of the Spirit makes us loving like God.

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

No one has to ask why James would tell us Christians not to be angry with each other, because we get into so many arguments it’s painfully obvious. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” We christians are to be different, because God’s implanted Word of love replaces the anger and wickedness of our hearts. 

But anger and quarrels are common among mankind. Anger is common whether at work, at home, in the government, among friends, and even in the church. Bosses lose their temper with their employees, and the employees are constantly talking poorly of him behind his back. Spouses yell at each other over the smallest annoyances. Rulers treat their subjects like stupid peons, and citizens frequently call their rulers obscene names. Friends get into arguments and have falling-outs. In churches people argue over paint colors and kitchen faucets, leaving the faith over very strange and petty disagreements.

Think about this for a moment. How many arguments do we have that really don’t matter that much? He chews too loudly; she misplaces my tools; he’s messy; she’s loud; the litany of offenses could go on and on. Then, we very commonly exaggerate the problems, assume the worst of intentions, and our anger and hatred for the other only increases. This is why in marriages these insignificant infractions can result in divorces and lifelong friendships can be destroyed over the silliest things.

This also happens a lot in our political rhetoric. Whether you’re red or blue, we speak so poorly of the opposite color, calling them names and other such things. With masks from two years ago if you wore one you were called a sheep, and if you didn’t it was said you hated your neighbor. If you voted for Trump you’re a hateful bigot; if you voted for Biden you’re a hateful bigot. Instead of putting the best construction on one another, we put the worst construction on each other and assign the most evil intentions and motives. When we have these disagreements, we rarely ever even talk to the other, we just talk about them, and make passive aggressive comments to them. We grow in this silent loathing towards the other until that blossoms into full hatred of the other such that we would be happy if they died.

Lord have mercy upon us! This is the way of our sinful flesh, and may God save us from such anger and wrath. God has called us to a better way, since we have been brought forth by the word of truth. The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Let us be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Moreover, let us learn the Biblical proverb that love covers a multitude of sins. “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”

St. Peter is not wrong: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” This is what Jesus teaches us: the summary of the law is love. We are to love God with our whole hearts and our neighbors as ourselves. All of those minor things that irritate us, all of the imperfections that others have, we can overlook in love. This isn’t to just excuse anyone’s sins or character flaws, those should still be worked on and hopefully overcome, rather this is about how we as Christians are supposed to deal with one another.

Jesus tells us we are to forgive not just seven times, but seventy-seven times, or in other words we are to forgive without ceasing. Perhaps your brother in Christ chews loudly like a cow, and he should mind his manners, and every day you admonish him to chew more quietly, nevertheless, in love you overlook his flaw and don’t make a big deal of it. If we are to live with each other, then we must have love for one another which is able to overcome our many flaws and weaknesses.

Consider how greatly God loves us and how much He must forgive us. His love never ceases and is new every morning. Though we daily falter in faith and good works, God does not immediately pour His wrath down upon us, instead He shows us mercy and forgives our sins. We don’t deserve His mercy and patience, yet He sent His Son, Jesus, to bear our offenses upon the cross. He doesn’t force us to purge away our sins by our own efforts, rather He purges our sins from us by His efforts. We didn’t have to bear the burdens of our sins upon the cross, He did. Even when we forget our sins, or are oblivious of our faults, He still forgives us and doesn’t rub our failures in our faces; He doesn’t hold onto grudges.

Let us learn to love one another in the way God loves us. Love each other and forgive one another. Don’t impute evil intentions and motivations to another. Don’t hold onto grudges and bitterness long after the other has forgotten their sin. Instead of magnifying another’s faults, try to put them into perspective. Instead of focusing on others’ sins, learn to confess your own sins. Be encouraged to know that God has empowered you to cast away your anger since He has implanted His Word and His Spirit within you. By the power of the Spirit you are being reformed and refashioned after His likeness, so that anger doesn’t constantly fill your heart but instead joy and peace and love.

Being filled with anger is not good for a person’s soul. “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” When you’re filled with anger and bitterness the person you hurt the most is yourself. Anger eats at you until all you can think about is how much you hate the other person. If you’re so angry at them, why would you let them live rent-free in your head, constantly bothering you? This kind of anger won’t solve your problems, it will only make it worse. So drive out this anger by receiving the implanted Word with meekness, which is able to save your souls!

Do note that the way this anger is driven out is not by more talking, but by shutting your mouth and listening, more specifically by listening to the voice of Jesus in His Word. We are to be quick to hear and slow to speak. We are brought forth as a kind of firstfruits by the Word of truth. “To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools…be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God…Let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.” So let us listen to the voice of Wisdom, let us listen to the voice of Jesus.

When we listen to His voice, we hear it by the power of the Spirit, and the Spirit guides us into all the truth. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” These are words which describe God’s heart towards us in Christ Jesus. As those redeemed by Christ, filled with the Spirit, these are also words which ought to describe our hearts towards one another.

So when you see your heart growing cold and bitter towards others, return to Him who loves you to the end. Receive from Him the forgiveness of your sins, so that you may forgive the sins of others. Just as Christ’s love for us covers the multitude of our sins, now too does Jesus’ love for us and our love for Jesus and others cover the multitude of others’ sins. See how great the Father’s love is towards us! Let us also love one another. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!