James 1:19-27
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, 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.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion 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.
James, brother of Jesus, was a man of action...He believed in listening and then taking action...He gives us proverb-like advice when he tells us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger...James then tells us that anger does not bring us to righteous life that God desires...This is good advice in the first century, as well as today...So many of us do not listen as we should, we are quick to give our opinion, and quick to anger, when things don't quickly go our way...These verses are good advice and he furthers his commentary in verse twenty six here on we should keep a rein on our tongue and in chapter three on the taming of the tongue...We should be better listeners and speak when we have quality things to say...He is telling us to listen more and speak less...Keep anger under control...
He tells us any man who studies and reads the word and does not do what it says is like a man who looks in the mirror and then after turning away from the mirror forgets what he has seen...But the man who read his Bible and follows it will be blessed...
He ends with the good advice of us helping and remembering our widows and orphans...
James teaches us what we do on earth is very important...Jesus healed many in His ministry...What Jesus did while He was on earth is very important...He was divine, and did great healings and had great teachings, while He was on earth...He did many miracles...If one or both of the criminals that were crucified with Jesus were resurrected three days later, what would we learn from this?...The people would have thought what is this world coming too, and/or the world is changing, how is this happening...But not many of the people would think that resurrected criminal or criminals was or were the Messiah...What they had done on earth were not good things, but evil things...They wound up being crucified for their criminal activity...What we do on earth during our time here is very important...What Jesus did on earth, while He was here was very important...
James gives us good advice and practical ways to live...Not only should we listen, but we should do good things, while we are on earth...