Stakes
This week's goodness is on James 3:1-2:
James' words here are pretty sobering. The stakes are higher for people who teach others to be Christians than they are for people who minister in other ways. It's like food service: If your hands are dirty, you'll make other people sick when you serve them, and they'll be as afflicted as you are or more. There are stricter standards for restaurant kitchens than for our kitchens at home. If you're ungodly or have a chip on your shoulder about something, the people you teach will pick up on those things as well. It's the blind leading the blind, and you'll all end up in the pit.
We think about the pit, and we dread ending up there, but we don't think about the penalty for leading others there. What if I'm wrong and it causes other people to be wrong because they trust me without having the maturity to check the truth for themselves? As a mature believer ministering to less mature believers, abusing their trust is like abusing a child.
Can we condemn someone for neglecting, misleading or abusing someone who is new to life, and not condemn someone who does the same thing with someone new to spiritual life? It's a terrifying responsibility, probably as terrifying as the experience a new parent has holding their baby and realizing that it depends on them for everything, that nothing they do will fail to have some effect, good or bad, on this new life.
People think "Hey I want to be a teacher, because I like having people listen to me." or "I want to help people because I have a lot to give." But James puts it in perspective the same as we put babies in perspective for teenagers who want to have kids but don't realize the crushing responsibility of it. It's not a doll or a fashion accessory. It's a human life, and it's going to depend on you as to whether it turns out well or not. It's work and it's utterly serious.
That's not to say that we shouldn't become teachers. Someone needs to take the difficult path. We just need to see it for what it is. The stakes are higher. We have to take responsibility for ourselves to a far greater extent than if nobody was listening to us or looking to our example. If God's word is food, we have to make sure that the hands that serve it are clean. If they're covered in our filth, others will ingest it and become infected and may some day infect others. But you would never say that nobody should serve food to the hungry or feed their kids because they might get sick. It has to happen, and we have to be careful.
I do what I can to make sure that what I teach is true, but I'm not perfect. You should all be praying and checking the Bible before you trust what I say. But if you don't, and I teach you something that turns out not to be true, that's my fault, not yours. My apologies in advance if that ever happens. It wasn't intentional. But I'm responsible for my ignorance and any wrong ideas I may have.
But the same goes for you when you become teachers. You have to be careful to share only what is true, and to examine yourselves and what you teach. If you're caught in a mistake, admit it. Use it as an example to teach more effectively, the same as a little bit of sickness can often immunize others from becoming seriously ill.
But, as James says, don't jump into becoming teachers because it's what people do, or because you think you're awesome. You will fall straight into the pit and all of those who follow you will end up there with you, and their blood will be on your hands. That's horrible. It's more horrible than any good you could possibly accomplish. It's better to put your kid up for adoption than to neglect, abuse, or mislead them. Either take it seriously or let someone else do it who will take it seriously.
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
James' words here are pretty sobering. The stakes are higher for people who teach others to be Christians than they are for people who minister in other ways. It's like food service: If your hands are dirty, you'll make other people sick when you serve them, and they'll be as afflicted as you are or more. There are stricter standards for restaurant kitchens than for our kitchens at home. If you're ungodly or have a chip on your shoulder about something, the people you teach will pick up on those things as well. It's the blind leading the blind, and you'll all end up in the pit.
We think about the pit, and we dread ending up there, but we don't think about the penalty for leading others there. What if I'm wrong and it causes other people to be wrong because they trust me without having the maturity to check the truth for themselves? As a mature believer ministering to less mature believers, abusing their trust is like abusing a child.
Can we condemn someone for neglecting, misleading or abusing someone who is new to life, and not condemn someone who does the same thing with someone new to spiritual life? It's a terrifying responsibility, probably as terrifying as the experience a new parent has holding their baby and realizing that it depends on them for everything, that nothing they do will fail to have some effect, good or bad, on this new life.
People think "Hey I want to be a teacher, because I like having people listen to me." or "I want to help people because I have a lot to give." But James puts it in perspective the same as we put babies in perspective for teenagers who want to have kids but don't realize the crushing responsibility of it. It's not a doll or a fashion accessory. It's a human life, and it's going to depend on you as to whether it turns out well or not. It's work and it's utterly serious.
That's not to say that we shouldn't become teachers. Someone needs to take the difficult path. We just need to see it for what it is. The stakes are higher. We have to take responsibility for ourselves to a far greater extent than if nobody was listening to us or looking to our example. If God's word is food, we have to make sure that the hands that serve it are clean. If they're covered in our filth, others will ingest it and become infected and may some day infect others. But you would never say that nobody should serve food to the hungry or feed their kids because they might get sick. It has to happen, and we have to be careful.
I do what I can to make sure that what I teach is true, but I'm not perfect. You should all be praying and checking the Bible before you trust what I say. But if you don't, and I teach you something that turns out not to be true, that's my fault, not yours. My apologies in advance if that ever happens. It wasn't intentional. But I'm responsible for my ignorance and any wrong ideas I may have.
But the same goes for you when you become teachers. You have to be careful to share only what is true, and to examine yourselves and what you teach. If you're caught in a mistake, admit it. Use it as an example to teach more effectively, the same as a little bit of sickness can often immunize others from becoming seriously ill.
But, as James says, don't jump into becoming teachers because it's what people do, or because you think you're awesome. You will fall straight into the pit and all of those who follow you will end up there with you, and their blood will be on your hands. That's horrible. It's more horrible than any good you could possibly accomplish. It's better to put your kid up for adoption than to neglect, abuse, or mislead them. Either take it seriously or let someone else do it who will take it seriously.
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