James 3:18

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for them that make peace.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matthew 5:9) is the beatitude James certainly had in mind here. As Dummelow expressed the thought, "The wise man is the peacemaker who sows good seed that in God's time will bear precious fruit."[43] The behavior in view here "is the result of true wisdom,"[44] to which this paragraph is entirely related. Barclay's discussion of that "wisdom" is very appropriate in this connection:

"True wisdom" is from [@epiekes], of all Greek words in the New Testament, the most untranslatable. Aristotle defined it as that "which is just beyond the law." It means "justice and better than justice." It is that which steps in to correct things when the law itself becomes unjust. It is impossible to find an English word to translate this quality ... (it is) the sweet reasonableness we would wish to receive ourselves.[45]

The most outstanding thing in this chapter is the profusion of the spirit and teaching of Jesus Christ which dominates every line of it. In the introduction, it was noted that James is the most Christian of all the New Testament writings, in the sense of being based absolutely upon the declarations of the Master himself; and this chapter affords the most remarkable demonstration of that fact. How amazing it is that some commentators can see nothing here except James' alleged preoccupation with the law of Moses! We may indeed thank God who enabled this Christian writer to remember and expound so faithfully the precious words of Jesus himself.

Despite the fact of there being nothing funny regarding the vicious sins of the tongue, men sometimes laugh at themselves for their gross conduct in this sector. One of the most astounding rebukes of gossip, for example, occurred half a century ago in San Augustine, Texas.

Illustration: The noted revivalist, Cowboy Crimm (North Texas and Oklahoma, during the 1930's and 1940's), at San Augustine under a huge tent, preached a rousing sermon on "The Tongue." The town's most notorious gossip, who was also a religious leader, responded, saying:

Oh Brother Crimm, I have come forward to lay my tongue on the altar of God.

Crimm replied:

I apologize, Sister, our altar is only ten feet long; but whatever part of it you can get on there, go right ahead!

The stark enormity of the sins of the tongue was appropriately rebuked in such a remark.

[43] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1036.

[44] W. E. Oesterley, op. cit., p. 456.

[45] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 95.