Sermon Tone Analysis

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.

What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’

As it is, you boast in your arrogance.

All such boasting is evil.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

[1]

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead

Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken

Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes

This is your life and today is all you’ve got now

Don’t close your eyes

Don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be

This is your life, are you who you want to be

This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be

When the world was younger and you had everything to lose [2]

Thus sang Switchfoot in a song that declares, “This is your life.”

The lyrics certainly invite reflection as people consider the speed with which life passes.

This awareness of the brevity of life is not something with which only we of this age appear to be concerned.

Long years past, Job declared:

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle

and come to their end without hope.

Remember that my life is a breath;

my eye will never again see good.”

[JOB 7:6, 7]

At another point, the suffering man cried out:

“My days are swifter than a runner;

they flee away; they see no good.

They go by like skiffs of reed,

like an eagle swooping on the prey.”

[JOB 9:25, 26]

Adults delight in asking children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Almost inevitably, children respond with answers that reflect values communicated from their parents.

“I want to be a fireman.”

“I want to be a nurse.”

“I want to be a scientist.”

Children pick the values that appear most exciting to them.

Generally these responses reflect noble values as parents will have instructed their children with values that will prove a benediction to their lives.

There may be a few exceptions to the exciting aspect of future work.

I recall one group of children who were near unanimous in responding, “I want to be a garbage man.”

We had a man in the congregation who drove a garbage truck.

His run included picking up from a number of big department stores and major distributors of sporting goods and appliances in the Lower Mainland.

Consequently, his garage was filled with cast-off goods that he scavenged because they were last year’s model or because they were the wrong colour or because they had been returned for minor problems.

However, seldom do we hear children speak of being a Christian, of being a godly person, or being holy and righteous.

The likely reason for this deficit is that we who are parents do not often speak of such positions as reflecting the values we esteem.

People of a certain age may recall a television series entitled “This Is Your Life.” Hosted by Ralph Edwards, the show was sort of a precursor to contemporary reality television; the show ran on NBC from 1952 to 1961.

Featuring guests who were surprised by Edwards on live television, the show would take the guests through their life in front of an audience including friends and family.

Generally, the memories were pleasant as people were told how much they encouraged others, or how they influenced others, or how they were instrumental in some significant way.

Occasionally, however, there were surprises that were not so pleasant.

In the text before us, James confronts his readers with the demand that they reflect on their lives.

However, the brother of our Lord does not wait for the answer from those to whom he is writing—he aggressively thrusts the answer forward.

It is disturbing in some respects.

However, if we will accept his purpose, the question asked will impel us to excel.

James’ question will compel sober reflection and drive us to adjust course so that God is glorified.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE! — “What is your life?”

The question is posed from a perspective that we don’t anticipate.

We know this to be the case because James immediately answers the question for us—he doesn’t give us opportunity to frame the question, he frames it for us.

His concern is the eternal impact of one’s life rather than the manner in which mankind assesses life.

Mortals assess life on the bases of benefits provided to the race; and the benefits valued speak of our existence in this life.

We know that we are here but a short while.

Shove the knowledge of our mortality ever so far from our consciousness, and we still know that we must die.

This body is destined for death.

Though it was designed for immortality, sin ruined the creation and our bodies lie under the sentence of death that reflects our fallen condition.

We urge our children, and our grandchildren, to get a good education.

We do so because we know that society values the educated person.

It is essential that I should pause for a moment to caution all who listen that not all education is equally valuable.

In our present world, many people push education at university levels.

Some studies will be more beneficial in preparing an individual to earn a living than others.

Whilst I am appalled at the general lack of ability demonstrated by my contemporaries to employ this English tongue to its greatest power, those who earn an advanced degree in English studies may find it difficult to use the training to earn a living.

Part of that negative assessment arises from modern ideas that depreciates grammar and repudiates ennobling literature from the past in favour of trash that masquerades as literature.

Individuals that earn degrees in womyn’s studies, black studies, Ebonics or gay studies will perhaps be qualified with some training to flip burgers or to drive cabs.

Universities that offer such diversity training do their students no favours; administrators of such programmes should be ashamed of themselves as they are robbing the students of opportunity to be educated.

Even a sociology degree or a psychology degree will likely make it difficult to gain employment.

Surprisingly, even those who continue to flood the field of law may discover that they are ill prepared to earn a living.

Those who equip themselves with degrees requiring rigorous academic preparation will always find employment—society values such training and rewards those willing to exert the effort to be so trained.

Those who obtain training preparing them to work with their tools will readily find employment.

Preparation for any of a number of positions within service industries will assure students of employment.

I’ve said these things to emphasise the fact that society values the labours of people who contribute in some way to society.

We show our evaluation through recompense for work performed.

The higher society’s valuation the greater the remuneration.

Rigorous preparation is valued more highly because fewer individuals will exercise the effort to obtain the training.

Additionally, we reward those who assume responsibility over great enterprises.

CEOs and CFOs accept responsibility for administering corporations and overseeing people’s investments, and they are rewarded handsomely because they assume responsibility for such oversight.

Individuals that contribute little to society will receive less reinforcement through salary.

James appears to recognise this social evaluation as he addresses those who are focused on obtaining recompense for effort expended.

He writes specifically to individuals who are intent on making a profit.

These are people who anticipate travelling, saying to themselves, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” [JAMES 4:13].

This is not a plea to ignore planning; rather, this is an admonition to ensure that one’s priorities are in order.

The young person who fails to equip himself or herself for employment is foolish in the extreme.

Likewise, the individual who ignores setting aside funds to provide for unforeseen emergencies is in a precarious position when tragedy does strike.

The head of a family that has no health insurance, the labourer who has no disability insurance or the primary wage earner for a family who has no life insurance to ensure that final bills are paid and that family needs are provided for is flirting with disaster and jeopardising others who depend on that one.

The Faith of Christ the Lord would instruct us to accept the responsibility of caring for our family.

Listen to the Apostle as he instructs believers in these matters.

“If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.

Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” [1 TIMOTHY 5:4-8].

Later, providing further instruction concerning these same issues, Paul will write, “I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.

For some have already strayed after Satan.

If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them.