- Psalmody: Psalm 98:1a, 2b; 1b; Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 5:7b, 5:8a, c; Psalm 66:1–2a, 16; John 16:8
- Lection: Isaiah 12:1–6; James 1:17–21; John 16:5–15
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dearly Beloved, St. James writes that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Do you believe this, still, nearly a month after great Easter festivity? And if you believe this, is it by convenient accessory, such as cruise control on your car, looked to only as frequently as you venture onto the highway and desire a less wearisome journey? Or is what James writes looked to as foundational principle by which every thought is governed, directed, and brought to abide in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Whether and how we believe his words gives great indication as to how we respond to the variation of this life; in how we respond when shadow turns upon us.
The five verses of our Epistle come to us in the manner of the Christian life rhythm. We hear details about God, about His divine attributes and how He acts in them toward us, then, as is quite characteristic of James, we hear a most-fitting response by the souls saved by the implanted word. To receive such mighty word with meekness indeed accomplishes what the Lord pleases, and it prospers in the thing for which He sent it. He has sent to us this very practical letter by which we may learn of our great God and Father and, rejoicing with thanksgiving, seek responses in our lives that are pleasing to Him Who has made us pleasing to Himself in His crucified, risen, and ascended Son. Our gratitude toward Him indeed drives our daily attitude about life as a whole, whether in times of celebration or of great trouble. If we struggle to be thankful to God amid trial and affliction by instead growing angry, impatient, or despondent, it is sure sign that we have not grown accustomed to thanking Him in the blessed times of calm and bounty.
So, let us ponder upon the Good Giver Whose throne is in the heavens. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. Dr. Luther understands this not to be banal repetition, but that good gift means to draw our minds to what is received in this life and perfect gift refers to those things received in the life of the world to come, in the place where perfection shall be manifest once again in the glorified sons of God and in the new heavens and the new earth. Thus, the phrase already works to orient us aright to a proper perspective to be honed now and blissfully enjoyed for all eternity. Eternity must be about our minds and hearts now, for from outside of ourselves, from above, comes every good gift received now and every perfect gift that awaits us. Eternity we possess. What here compares?
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. The One from Whom such gifts come is the same Who created the heavens and the earth. He has formed the countless lights in the heavens, placing all in accordance with His will. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names and likens their count to the great multitude of Abraham’s children of faith who shall one day gaze upon them in exceeding resurrected glory. Yea, the magnificent night sky has itself even more for which to long in the Day that lies ahead.
It is in that same sky that the Father has given us other great lights; the sun to rule the day and the moon the night. They rule as He has given them, yet they rule with variation and shadow of turning, unlike their Maker, our Father. With the sun, we wake each morning expecting to see the light rising from the east, yet where exactly in the east depends on where we are in our annual celestial orbit. It varies. We live, and are able to die, by this variation of the sun. Venture out in thin clothing when it is deep in our southern sky and frostbite, hypothermia, and certain death shall come. Boots, heavy coat, and wool hat when it is to the north will bring about heatstroke. We willingly and wisely adapt to the created lights’ variation. Yet, with the Father of lights, there is no variation. But we trust Him less than the rising of the sun when He allows variation or shadow of turning to come upon us in this life. In the good times, we take Him for granted. In the hard times, we doubt Him and trust Him not to test our faith. We take His good gifts for granted, quick to cast aside the endless list of daily, good gifts that we do receive for the sake of bemoaning lack of one or affliction of another. We are spoiled children who waste away much opportunity for joy and thanksgiving just so that we can wallow in self-pity, discontentment, and woe. This is an affront to Christ and His Father, Whom He has made to be our Father, from Whom comes every good gift and every perfect gift. Let us cast away the devil’s irony of while possessing everything, we behave as if we have nothing. In the Father of lights being made our Father Who art in heaven, we possess more than any power-drunk politician can ever clamor for; more than any cutting-edge entrepreneur could ever lust for. No temporal gain or loss, no nothing can separate us from the love of Christ and the good and perfect gifts bestowed upon us for His sake by the Father of lights.
This good news is even greater, because we have warranted not a shred of this bestowal upon such unworthy and ungrateful creatures. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth. The Father of lights is in His very nature a Giver. He has brought us forth and given the light of life because of Who He is. Every good gift of light comes only from Him: the light of truth, holiness, joy, love, hope, grace, and glory. In Him there is no darkness at all. He makes us children of light.
He has brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures. In the gardens of our hearts, we are the ones guilty of turning fruit into thorns and thistles, misusing our will to do things unholy and unrighteous. Yet, even as our own will wanders and changes from the Father’s original good design, His will never falters toward us. His will was to give the good and perfect gift of His everlasting Word that thorns and thistles might bear fruit once again in creatures so thoroughly affected by light from above that we strive to make our will to be like that of the light and life Giver.
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. You have heard it said that God gave us two ears but only one mouth for a reason. It’s because what comes out of the mouth reveals the darkness of the heart, the very place in deep need of unvarying rising of the Sun of righteousness upon it, yea, daily, hourly, minute-by-minute.
So, be swift to hear. Be swift to hear the word of truth that you may discern the will of God and conform your own will to His. He has shown you, O man, what is good. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God, your Father of lights knowing that His gifts are beyond compare. Weigh all your ills against your blessings in Christ and you shall find great reason to hear more of Him from Whom it all comes.
Be slow to speak. Bridle the tongue that you may be possessor and controller of its reins, guiding it into humility that the ears may serve the heart better by what is heard from God and others. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. It is fitly spoken when, after being slow to speak, the mind and the heart have basked in the rays of the Father so that what comes from the tongue is more light than darkness.
Be slow to wrath. Be slow to act, even in words, when anger within desires to lash out, to let another person have it, or to feel the same toward God. To this as well can a life of ingratitude lead, for who among us lets the unbridled, wrathful tongue trample upon the One Who has regularly received our humble love, admiration, and thanks? Indeed, there is much evil against which righteous wrath shall have its day. But our wrath is too often misplaced or wielded mercilessly. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Mercy is a good gift from above that is to be shared here below.
The Father of lights gives good gifts that make us a kind of first fruits of His creatures. Such creatures are ones who hear of Him, are known by Him, and come to know Him themselves. May the hearts that He has redeemed come to be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, having grown in bounty of gratitude that is proportionate to every good gift and ever perfect gift that is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. For, they indeed are countless and provide unshakeable reason for us Christians, one and all, to rejoice.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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