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Language Studies
Difficult Sayings
Trials and temptations - Does James endorse masochism?
James 1:2
"count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations" (James 1:2
Adamson in the NICNT commentary on James 1:2 wisely points out that "pleasure is not synonymous with joy".F2
James tells us to "count it all joy" when we suffer or are tested, and this is the message of Peter (1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12-13) and Paul (
This is actually a very Jewish sentiment, not just a doctrine based upon Christ's vicarious suffering. The rabbis said that:
"Whoever rejoices in the sufferings that come upon him in this life brings salvation to the world" (Babylonian Talmud, Taanith 8a)
Earlier, in the writings of the Apocryphal book Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach, written about 200 years before Christ, we read these words, which are amongst several affinities between the language of James and Sirach:
"1 My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation. 2 Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble. 3 Cleave unto him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end. 4 Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate. 5 For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity." (Job 1:21-22)
Not only Job, but Jesus also didn't embrace suffering suicidally without first asking God if the cup could pass from him (Matthew 26:39,42), only then consigning himself to the inevitable path of crucifixion.
Deuteronomy 8:2-3,16 reveals the purpose of testing:
- "to know what is in our own heart" (Deuteronomy 13:3)
- "to learn to rely on God's Word alone" (Psalm 119:71; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4)
- "to do us good in the end"! (cf. Sirach 2:3b)
Using other Scriptures we can say the following about our response to trials and testing:
- we are not to think them strange (1 Peter 4:12)
- but to rejoice (Judges 8:25; Romans 5:3; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12-13)
- be patient (Romans 12:12)
- have faith (2 Thessalonians 1:4)
- love God (Psalm 91:14 and preceding context)
God's response to our response is:
- to comfort (2 Corinthians 1:4,6; 7:4-7)
- to deliver (2 Timothy 3:10-12; Psalm 91:15; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9)
- to reward (James 1:12; Hebrews 6:15; Luke 22:28-30; Revelation 2:10)
The parabolic answer of the rabbis to the question as to why the righteous are tested was this:
"The potter does not test cracked vessels, one knock and they break; but if he tests sound vessels he can knock them many times without them breaking. Similarly, God, does not test the wicked but the righteous, as it is written 'The Lord tries the righteous' (Psalm 11:5) and 'God tested Abraham' (Genesis 22:1)."
"A householder had two cows, one strong the other weak. Upon which does he place the yoke? Surely it is upon the strong. In the same way God tests the righteous" (Genesis Rabbah 32.3)
In other words, count it as joy, not as masochists but, as believers considered worthy to be tested and thought suitable as sound vessels to be entrusted with more.
FOOTNOTES:
F1: Kaiser, W. C., Hard Sayings of the Bible, (InterVarsity, 1997).
F2: Adamson, James, NICNT (USA: Eerdmans, 1976/93), p.53
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