You might think that this is a repeat because there was a blog entitled, "Stop slandering one another," published just recently on 2nd November 2022. But James is making another command which is even more serious than the previous one. He has already told his hearers about the evil of slandering their brothers and sisters. He now moves into a higher gear and tackles another issue which the New International Version defines as 'grumbling.' The Greek word stenazo has come to mean to sigh or murmur or pray inaudibly with grief. It can mean to groan, to grudge or to sigh. I found it useful to look at some other verses where this word was used. Here is the first example:
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. [Romans 8:23 NIV]
Perhaps as we get older, we become more acutely aware of our physical infirmities and we long for new bodies - and Paul says we are sighing and groaning as we experience the frustrations of our mortal bodies. Here is another example:
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. [Hebrews 13:17 ESV]
I had to look at this verse in the ESV because the NIV gave the gist of the meaning but avoided the actual word. Here the writer is speaking about our attitude to our ruler and our leaders. Are we joyful or resentful? Do we groan whenever our prime minister or first minister is on the news?
I think we have got the idea of the meaning of this word, but James is using the word in another context. James is talking about our relationship with each other in a church context. Do we find some people really irritate us and get on our nerves? We pretend to ignore their pettiness, their awkwardness or their jealousy but deep down we are resentful, and we sigh inwardly or groan to ourselves. The point is that we are sometimes good at hiding our true feelings because we become actors and hypocrites. The lesson that James is teaching us is that we have to have a change of attitude and there is a Judge who is at the door and knows what we are really thinking. He says, 'you will be judged.' You cannot sweep this resentment under the proverbial carpet and pretend that it is not there. 'The Judge is standing at the door!' and James is referring to God who is the only judge. It is good to remind ourselves that God is standing at the door and is observing our every action and knows the thoughts in our minds. Others judgement does not count here. I would be reluctant to specify what type of judgement he is referring to in this context. It may be the bema or the judgement seat of Christ when 'the fire will test the quality of each person's work (1 Corinthians 3: 12-15). This was covered in a previous Day Share blog with the title, "The Day" (02/06/2021). It may be that he is referring to judgement in this life for sometimes God has to intervene in our lives. (See 1 Corinthians 11:30)
Don't grumble against each other. But we need to remember that we can sigh or groan inwardly and we may have disguised our true feelings from our brother or sister in the church, but we have not deceived the righteous Judge.
Today's picture does not really relate to the theme of today's blog, but it is a reminder of an industrial past - a small railway line ran along this path and through the tunnel towards a coal pit.
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