Turned the stone…
There is an old song that tells this story:
Listen children to a story that was written long ago about a kingdom on a mountain and the valley folk below.
On the mountain was a treasure buried deep beneath a stone and the valley people swore they’d have it for their very own.
So they sent a message to the mountain people asking for the buried treasure…tons of gold for which they’d kill…
From the mountain people came a message… with our brothers in the valley we will share all the secrets of our mountain, all the treasures buried here.
Now the valley people cried with anger… Mount your horses! Draw your swords!
And they killed the mountain people, so they won their just reward…
On the mountain dark and red, turned the stone and looked beneath it…
PEACE ON EARTH was all it said…
In today’s scripture, James is drawing a contrast to the Heavenly wisdom that produces peace, in which the seed of righteousness grows, to that of earthly wisdom that results in chronic interpersonal warfare. At the origin of this warfare is a contentious, selfish nature.
Where there is contention and strife, the Holy Spirit is grieved and withdraws the blessing and direction of the Lord. This results in confusion, anger, hurt, pain and selfishness. The human heart is terminally wicked but the cure for our disease is found in the grace of God through the finished work of Christ by His death, burial, and resurrection!
Recent Comments