DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
James 3:1-10
(01/17 or 01/30)
Tuesday of the Thirty-Second Week after Pentecost
Also
(01/24 or 02/06)
Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week after Pentecost
Teaching Christ: James 3:1-10, especially vs. 1: “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers,
knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” Saint
James warns those drawn to a teaching ministry to consider the work cautiously. He gives several reasons: 1) to teach
Christ is a high calling, and a teacher for the Lord faces higher standards
before the judgment seat of Christ (vs. 1); 2) Since stumbling is a human
characteristic “...in many things” (vs. 2), and since what is
taught is perfect in all respects, one ought to be slow to teach until he
attains a high level of self-control (vs. 2); 3) Since teaching usually
involves speaking, and since “...no man can tame the tongue,” let
the prospective teacher approach educational work with caution (vs. 8).
Realize, immediately, that there are different levels of
teaching. How, then, does one
presume to serve at the highest level of pedagogy, that is, to teach of
Christ? The idea of teaching others
in the Lord is absurd if one looks at the task soberly; yet the absurdity of
teaching the Faith remains an essential ministry within the Church (Eph. 4:11),
even agreeing that it borders on being preposterous. Why? Because the Christian
teacher is never conducting an academic course about the Person of Christ. Communicating from his limited human
mind to that of others, the true teacher of the Faith does not cover an
intellectual body of information.
The true Christian teacher necessarily speaks from the
heart, from the inmost aspect of his being, from what the Fathers call the
‘nous.’ In the
‘nous,’ as distinct from the rational mind, learning takes place
from immediate encounter with Christ Himself and not by getting hold of
abstract concepts. In the Communion
of the Holy Gifts, one does not receive a thought about Christ; rather, the
true worshiper receives the-all pure Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus
Himself. Similarly, the faithful do
not read Scripture to learn ‘about’ Christ the Lord but to meet the
Word in and through the words of Holy Writ.
Christianity is not ‘taught’ but
‘caught.’ The true
teacher knows Christ personally.
Saint Peter of Damascus reminds every teacher to “...pay attention
to what the Savior teaches him and do all he can to escape from the
enemies’ traps....as Saint James the Brother of God rightly says,
‘All good giving and every perfect gift comes from above’ (Jam.
1:17).”
Since stumbling marks our present human condition
“...in many things” (vs. 2), those who teach the Faith need a great
self-control. Listen again to Saint
Peter of Damascus. The most
all-embracing virtue of the soul “...is self-control, by which I mean
abstinence from all passions. There
is also another, more partial form of self-control, that applies to bodily
actions and teaches us the proper use of food and drink....The person who
possesses this virtue does not tolerate any thought or word, any movement of
hand or foot or of any other member of the body, unless it is essential to the
life of the body or to the soul’s salvation.” There is a humbling standard for those
who think to be true Christian teachers!
Apart from the grace of God, who can teach Christ?!
Finally, the Apostle speaks of a most difficult hurdle for
self-control: management of the tongue.
The speech of fallen men is “...unruly evil, full of deadly
poison” (vs. 8). The best
that a Christian can teach is shared through actions, yet every teacher
ultimately must speak also. In
speaking, danger is near, for “...out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing...” (vs.
10). Saint
Paul, for one did include speech when he called the true teacher to be
“...an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit,
in faith, in purity” (1 Ti. 4:12).
O Most-good Lord!
Send down upon us the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, so that by attending to
the teaching Thou dost give us, we may grow into the glory of Thee, our
Creator, our Most Holy Truth, and our only Way.
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