3:16 Neglected

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” James 3:16

There are some great 3:16 passages in the Bible. My previous post on 3:16 Extended addresses the relationship between two of them: John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16. This passage from James certainly does not reflect something pleasant, but it speaks powerfully to us, especially to those who are of the Body of Christ. If 1 John 3:16 is the extension of God’s love to others, James 3:16 may well describe what happens when we neglect true love as a guiding principle.

We are familiar with the idea that God is love. John 3:16 has been a verse that represents the operation of God’s love toward humankind. In Jesus Christ, God has demonstrated the highest, most honorable form of love. It is clearly differentiated from things that we frequently identify as love. It is not infatuation. It is not carnal, even though it is incarnate. It is more than what we usually mean when we say, “Love ya, bro!” God’s love is sacrificial, selfless, seeking the highest good. It is love that transforms those who live within its influence.

As people of faith, our calling is to reflect the same sacrificial love in our relationships with others, both Christians and not-yet-Christians. Let’s face it though; we don’t always operate that way. The biblical letter of James is quite unfettered in challenging behavior that does not align with Christ-likeness. In verse 3:16 James describes the behavior of those who neglect the dynamic of love, as well as the unfortunate result of that behavior. If we wanted to describe the opposite of selfless, sacrificial love, one possibility would be jealousy and selfish ambition. There aren’t too many people who would quickly admit that their behavior is characterized by jealousy and selfish ambition. James must have thought it pretty easy to spot, though. And if I would look honestly in the spiritual mirror, I would see it in myself.

While it could be easy for us to dismiss this as an unavoidable part of our human nature, let us not miss the magnitude of Jealousy and selfish ambition at work. James indicates that where these things are allowed to be operating principles, the result is “disorder and every vile practice.” In his paraphrase The Message, Eugene Peterson phrases it as, “things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.” This is not how it should be among disciples of Jesus. It is not a relational dynamic that glorifies God, nor is it behavior that makes the Christian faith attractive to others. It does not, in the words of the apostle Paul, show us “a still more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31).

Jealousy and selfish ambition are easy. They come quite naturally to anyone afflicted with the human condition. Yet when we allow these to be dominant traits, the result is both unpleasant and unbecoming. Jesus calls us to something greater, and while we may think that loving like Jesus loves is next to impossible, we must remember that Jesus is the one who can accomplish it within us. Let us, therefore, not neglect this great privilege we have, to love completely as Jesus has loved us.

See you along the winding path…