The Season of Resurrection: Part 6

James 1:16-21
    Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
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In chapter one of his letter, James warns his readers against the desire of evil. “Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” (James 1:15) It is not only committing actual sin that can harm our souls, but even wanting to. 
It is fairly common for people to struggle with this concept today. We tend to think that if we have a desire, it must be for something good. After all, why would God make me with a desire for something bad. Not so, James counters. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.” (James 1:13-14) God is not the author of our temptation. We can conjure that up all on our own.
Rather than blaming God for our desires and temptations, we should repent of them. We should turn away from the desire for evil before evil gets its claws in too deep.  
It is not, however, that all desires are evil. Desire is an emotion, and emotions can be good or bad. They can be directed by God and His Spirit, or they can be driven by the spirit of the age. “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:16-17) James is encouraging his readers to desire the good things that God gives. 
How, though, can we know the difference? We learn the difference between good and evil desires, the difference between the righteous and wicked ends of any emotion, by calibrating our hearts with God’s Word. “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. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:19-21) 
Often, James 1:19-20 is quoted out of context as relationship advice. Indeed, we should be quick to listen and slow to respond when another person speaks to us, especially if they are confronting us with an accusation or calling us to repentance. But that misses James’ point here. We are not simply supposed to be quick to listen to other people generally. We are to be quick to hear the implanted Word of God. (v.21) 
God’s Law, His commands, teach us how to act, and even how to feel at times. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls out the wickedness of all sorts of desires and emotions: lust, anger, anxiety, and envy, to name a few. As we read these commands and others we are shown what is appropriate and what is not. 
The Gospel, too, shapes our emotions, albeit in a more direct and indirect way. When the Holy Spirit brings the good news that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has reconciled me to God, I am filled with trust in this news, and that trust opens the door for a flood of other emotions, beginning with the love of God. The Gospel actually changes my heart, makes it new, and leads me to love and desire good things. 
More indirectly, the Gospel also gives me confidence that my standing with God is not based on my own good deeds. I stand on firm ground in the presence of my heavenly Father because of the good deeds of Jesus Christ. So when emotions come my way, I need not merely react badly to them. I can step back, analyze them, and act appropriately. 
There is a wonderful prayer in the front of Lutheran Service Book that reflects this idea of the Word of God directing our hearts toward God-pleasing ends. “Lord God, bless Your Word wherever it is proclaimed. Make it a word of power and peace to convert those not yet Your own and to confirm those who have come to saving faith. May Your word pass from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the lip, and from the lip to the life that, as You have promised, Your Word may achieve the purpose for which You send it.” (LSB, front inside cover) 

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