Wisdom from Above

James 3:13-18

August 24, 2025

Rev. Heather Carlson

This summer, we’ve been walking the ancient paths of wisdom through the book of Proverbs. At its heart, biblical wisdom begins with awe—a deep reverence for the Creator who orders and sustains all things. Proverbs has offered us practical, grounded insights from the sages of old — words about speech and truthfulness, friendship and relationships, humility, work and diligence. 

Today, as we close this series, we turn from the Old Testament to the New, from Proverbs to the letter of James — sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament. James, written by the brother to Jesus, and an influential leader of the Jews following the way of Jesus, was steeped in Proverbs and the wisdom tradition. 

James opens this portion with a question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?”

It’s rhetorical — and a bit of a challenge. He’s asking, “If you claim wisdom, show it. Prove it. Let it be visible in your life.” And the proof isn’t found in clever words or status, but in the character and gentleness of your actions. James says: “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”

True wisdom shows up in how we live, not just how we think. Demonstrated, not declared. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that faith without works is dead (James 2:17), underscoring the importance of living out one's beliefs.

So then, how do we recognize wisdom? James draws a bold contrast between two kinds of wisdom — earthly wisdom and wisdom from above.

Let’s begin with earthly wisdom. James doesn’t pull punches here. He calls it:

• Unspiritual & Devilish (hard to see)

• But it manifests in disorder, selfish ambition, envy, boasting, hypocrisy, and partiality

This isn’t just a list of bad behaviors. It’s a picture of what happens when human pride, insecurity, and fear are allowed to run unchecked. When people pursue personal gain at any cost. When ego masks as discernment. When ambition is disguised as calling. It’s when we have all the answers, but none of the track record. It is ungodly/earthly wisdom.  

Remember now that James is writing to Christians. He isn’t pointing his finger at the government, or the merchants, or the soldiers. He knows the church is not immune from this kind of thinking. In fact, he warns that seasoned believers can disguise envy as “concern,” or selfish ambition as a “word from the Lord.” James wants us to guard against all the ways worldly wisdom seeps into our lives and our life together. 

 James would have understood Socrates warning that “envy is the ulcer of the soul.” Advertising, social media, and culture itself tell us: “To be is to have.” “And to have more is to be more.” This generates what the New Interpreter’s Bible calls a “certain sorrow” — a constant ache for what others have, and a willingness to do anything to get it. Such behavior is the enemy of the church; it destroys Christian community. It enslaves us to the dictates of our ego or the evaluation of others.  James has no time for pretense. This is an urgent matter. He says, tend to your hearts before your character becomes infected. 

The antidote, saving grace, freedom is found Christ, who is God’s wisdom from above. James describes godly wisdom as:

“First pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”

This is not the kind of wisdom the world celebrates. The ancient Greeks thought gentleness was weakness — something beneath the dignity of a strong, confident person. Paul writes to the Corinthians that the crucified Christ looks like foolishness to the Greeks. In modern culture, gentleness gets labelled as ineffective or even naïve. But in Scripture, gentleness is not weakness. It’s strength under control. It is, as author Beth Moore writes,“the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance.” 

This kind of wisdom may not earn earthly applause. It may not go viral on tiktok. But it bears the fruit of the Spirit. It is peacemaking, merciful, and deeply rooted in God's goodness as shown in the cross. 

How tempting it is to convince ourselves that a harsh word is worth it — especially if it got someone to see things our way, or swayed a group decision. But James challenges that logic. He says: “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” Sounds a lot like Jesus “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

We don’t harvest righteousness by force in word or action. We sow peace. We yield. We extend mercy. We trust God to bring the growth. Moore writes: “Harsh people are never wise people. They may be smart. [Sometimes] they may even be right. But they are not what the Bible calls wise.”

The process of discipleship is the journey of moving from earthly wisdom to heavenly wisdom — from striving and self-promotion to surrender and peace. And this journey is not accomplished all at once. As the New Interpreter’s Bible puts it: “Conversion is a continuing process, not a once-for-all thing.”  We are not born wise. We are formed in wisdom. And formation takes time — through suffering, hardship, correction, and the daily decision to trust God’s way.

James 1:5 encourages us: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.”

One of the commentaries I was reading included the prayer, “Lord, pluck every splinter of envy from our hearts. And in its place, plant security — a rootedness in your love.”

When we ask God for wisdom, we need to remember we are not asking simply for knowledge, but for life lived in harmony with wisdom from above. For a life that takes on the cruciform shape of the Jesus. True wisdom starts not with intellect, but with the cross. God’s wisdom looks like foolishness to the world—but it’s the power of salvation. Jesus is the wisdom of God. This humility is not self-deprecation but a recognition of one's dependence on God, leading to actions that reflect His character. We yield out of wisdom from above, not out of fear below. Yielding in forgiveness is to give is over, not give it up. 

So here’s the invitation, as we close this series on wisdom:  Don’t just admire wisdom — pursue it. Ask for it. Walk in it. Let your actions speak louder than your opinions. Let your gentleness reveal your strength. Let your life be a seedbed where the fruit of peace and righteousness can grow.

Discipleship is the lifelong journey of exchanging false wisdom for true — of learning, little by little, to see the world as God sees it, and to respond with the character of Christ.  And the good news is this: God does not withhold wisdom. He gives generously to all who ask.

So this week, in the decisions you face, in the conversations you enter, in the struggles that challenge you — pause, breathe, and pray: “Lord, grant me wisdom from above. Make me gentle. Make me peaceable. Make me Yours.” Amen.