The Book of James

The Humility of Heavenly Wisdom

Lesson #8 for November 22, 2014

Scriptures: [James 3:13-4:10; Deuteronomy 4:6; Galatians 5:17; Jeremiah 3:6-10,20; Acts 19:13-16; Psalm 24:3-6][i].

1.    There is a lot of evidence in our world today that Christians are not much different in their behavior from people of the world. For example, the divorce rate is almost equal. Are there any ways in which Christians are notably and distinctly different from worldlings?

2.    Are Christians less likely to exhibit selfish rivalry at work? Is there any fierce competition between pastors for advanced positions in the conference? Is there any competition between Adventist members for positions in the church? Or, should we expect church members to act just like people of the world?

3.    Read James 3:13ii. What is the “meekness of wisdom”? Do Christians act more wisely than others? Do we behave more humbly than people of the world?

4.    This lesson is not about intellectual knowledge; it is about human behavior. Notice that James was talking about good conduct-the Greek word is anastrophe-compare its use in 1 Timothy 4:12iii; Hebrews 13:7iv; 1 Peter 1:15; 2:12[v].

5.    Remember the words of Jesus in John 13:34-35vi. Is it really possible that if church members showed true love for each other, then the whole world would notice? Do church members in your community stand out for their love, caring, compassion, and humility? Apparently, the ancient Jews were supposed to. See Deuteronomy 4:6vii.

6.    But, so many of this world’s citizens-as well as so many Christians-are caught up in the rat race we call “keeping up with the Joneses,” competition for the best positions at work, competition for higher salaries, etc., instead of being meek and humble.

7.    Read James 3:11,14viii and Acts 15:1-5ix. Are any Christians that you know motivated by envy and selfish ambition? If the truth could be known, how many of us are in an exclusive pursuit of our own interests? Does that sound like something that Jesus would do? Or, more like Satan’s plan back in the beginning? In the words of several of its authors, the New Testament tells us that we should die to self and surrender our wills to the Lord. If we are not willing to do that and if we continue to pursue a very selfish lifestyle, do you think God will admit us to heaven? Does He want to risk restarting the great controversy?

8.    Read James 3:15-16[x], GNB. Would we agree with James’s words: “Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.” God cannot admit people like that into His kingdom! Is that limiting our freedom?

9.    So, let us look at some definitions. The wisdom of this world encourages us to fight for the highest place, to keep up with or even try to beats the “Joneses,” and to try to meet the world’s standards in every way we can, often killing ourselves in the process.

10.    On the other hand, heavenly wisdom means we act like Jesus, not contending for the highest place, or the highest salary, but rather serving the poor and needy and being willing to do the undesirable work. Often, people will recognize our contributions, and we will be happier; we will be honored for what we have done, and God will reward us in heaven. (See Matthew 25:31-46xi.)

11.    So, which type of wisdom dominates in your life? Would we be willing to admit that earthly wisdom is demonic or even devilish? Even Solomon back in Proverbs 14:12; 16:25xii said that there are ways that seem right to people but they end up as ways of death.

12.    Heavenly wisdom is described in further detail in James 3:17-18xiii; John 3:3-7xiv; and Colossians 3:1-2xv. When reading these verses, it is important to recognize that when Jesus was talking about being “born again,” the Greek can also be translated being “born from above.” So, why are there so many people who are killing themselves striving for the top?

13.    In our lessons together, we have tried to emphasize the fact that we need to practice living and acting like Jesus. So, how did Jesus act even as a young person?

Jesus did not contend for His rights. Often His work was made unnecessarily severe because He was willing and uncomplaining. Yet He did not fail nor become discouraged. He lived above these difficulties, as if in the light of God’s countenance. He did not retaliate when roughly used, but bore insult patiently.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages 89.4.

Jesus did not contend for His rights. When roughly used, He bore it patiently. Because He was so willing and uncomplaining, His work was often made needlessly hard. Yet He was not discouraged for He knew that God smiled upon Him.—Ellen G. White, The Story of Jesus 39.4.

14.    Could those words be used to describe any of us? In James 3:17-18, James was quite clear that he was talking about being baptized by the Holy Spirit, that is, being born from above. Heavenly wisdom could cause us to be meek, humble, peaceable, gentle, merciful, forgiving, willing to overlook the faults of others, and not being critical or judgmental. But, it is so easy to fall into the habits of worldlings around us.

15.    If we really acted like Jesus, could we even survive in our dog-eat-dog environment?

16.    Read James 4:1xvi; compare Galatians 5:17xvii. These two verses suggest that wars and conflicts begin in the selfish desires of human beings. What do you think James was talking about when he mentioned a “desire for pleasure”? Look at your own experience and the experiences of those that you observe in your church or Sabbath school class. Is there any evidence of lust, anger, covetousness, selfishness, envy, even cravings? Notice that several of these words are taken straight out of the Ten Commandments. James actually mentioned murder! He was probably not talking about literal murder but just as Jesus suggested, anger, which in God’s eyes is next to murder. And what is the root cause for all of that terrible unrest?

It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 330.4-331.0; LHU 162.4; ML 181.5.

17.    Read James 4:2-4xviii and compare Jeremiah 3:6-10,20xix; Isaiah 54:5xx; Jeremiah 2:2xxi; and Luke 16:13xxii. In the Old Testament, we see plenty of evidence that the children of Israel loved to get involved in the worship of pagan, idolatrous, and even fertility cult religions. Are there any equivalents in the Christian world today? If we enjoy watching murder, war, explicit sexual behavior or adultery, drugs, foul language, etc. on television or in movies, is that behavior in any way similar to the behavior of ancient Israel in God’s eyes?

18.    Read James 4:5-6xxiii. What will be the final result if God “resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”? Will that have anything to do with our final salvation?

19.    Read James 4:1-4xxiv. From where do all those evil desires in our minds come? Were Adam and Eve created naturally selfish, covetous, envious, and sinful in other ways? So, if those characteristics came to us through sinning, should we be doing our best to get rid of them? If we recognized how desperate our situation really is, would we espouse these words from Ellen White: “Our great need is our only claim on God’s mercy.” - The Desire of Ages, page 317.0.

20.    Are any of our actions actually worthy of salvation? Look in detail at the behavior of Jesus as He faced the cross. If we really contemplated the last 24 hours of Christ’s life on this earth, what would it do to us? In what ways would it speak to our need? (See DA 83.4.)

21.    Read James 4:7xxv. Notice the sequence in this verse. First, we must submit ourselves to God. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can resist the Devil; and he will flee from us. We do not have to contend with people who are obviously demon-possessed as they did in the times of the New Testament. But clearly, God’s Spirit is more powerful than any of the demons. Notice also that God has a very interesting sense of humor. Read Acts 19:13-16xxvi.

22.    So, if the Devil sees us trying our best to cooperate with God, how does he respond? Doesn’t it look like it would be wise to submit ourselves to God at the beginning of every day? Then, with God’s help, we could do our best to resist all of the Devil’s temptations.

23.    Read James 4:8-10xxvii. James really got wound up in these verses. “Come to God”; “wash your hands”; “purify your hearts, you hypocrites”; “be sorrowful, cry, weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom”; “Humble yourselves.” These things are not easy. But honestly, they probably are a summary of what we have read since the middle of James 3. The first or earliest example that we know about of someone who wanted to exalt himself above his position was the Devil himself. Do we ever behave like him? (See Isaiah 14:12-14xxviii.) Would we really want to?

24.    Also read also Psalm 24:3-6xxix. James was repeating the ideas from this Old Testament passage and describing to us in detail what we need to do to come back to God. Have we tried humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord and letting Him lift us up? (James 4:10xxx; Mark 9:35xxxi; Luke 14:7-11xxxii) What would happen if we practiced doing that at least one day a week?

There are many whose hearts are aching under a load of care because they seek to reach the world’s standard. They have chosen its service, accepted its perplexities, adopted its customs. Thus their character is marred, and their life made a weariness. In order to gratify ambition and worldly desires, they wound the conscience, and bring upon themselves an additional burden of remorse. The continual worry is wearing out the life forces. Our Lord desires them to lay aside this yoke of bondage. . . . He bids them seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and His promise is that all things needful to them for this life shall be added. Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 330.1. [Bold type is added]

25.    Read again Deuteronomy 4:6xxxiii. Did God really think that goal was possible for the children of Israel? Was there ever a time when the nations around them looked at them and thought they were “a wise and understanding people”? What about the days of David? Or, at the time when Solomon was building and dedicating the temple? Or, never?

26.    What should be our ultimate weapon against pride and selfishness? If we cannot defeat these naturally inherent characteristics of human beings, none of us is going to be saved. If we truly look at the last few hours of Jesus’s life, what does it say to us about our pride and selfishness? Will there be any proud people in heaven? What does it mean to crucify self? Do you know any Christians who are truly unselfish and loving in all their actions? How do you suppose God would work with a person like that? Could such a person be truly loving, kind, compassionate, and humble without it showing on the outside?

27.    The Bible seems to suggest that the smartest, happiest people are those who get pleasure in serving others. Is that even possible for inherently selfish human beings? Don’t we believe that everyone in heaven will be continuously acting in loving and helpful ways to all around them?

28.    And what about wisdom? Is there a difference between one who is truly wise and one who is merely knowledgeable? We need knowledge. But don’t we need wisdom even more?

29.    Is the difference between earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom clear in your mind after studying this lesson? If you were able to watch someone for a while, would you be able to tell whether s/he is operating based on earthly wisdom or on heavenly wisdom?

30.    The Bible often uses the word meekness in a similar context. What does meekness mean? What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? One dictionary defines these terms or conditions as “humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others,” and “gentle; kind.” Do we tend to be easily provoked? (1 Corinthians 13:4xxxiv)

31.    Read Ephesians 4:2xxxv, GNB. Could we act as Paul suggested when he said: “Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.” Would that prove that Christ is in us? Look again at James’s definition of true wisdom: It is (1) “First pure,” (2) then “peaceable,” (3) “gentle,” (4) “willing to yield,” (5) “full of mercy” and (6) “good fruits,” (7) “without partiality,” and (8) “without hypocrisy.” (See James 3:17-18xxxvi.)

32.    Let us be painfully honest for a few minutes. We all recognize that there are two contending forces acting on our minds every day. The force that wins will be the force that we listen to most often. Eventually, it will tend to become the only voice we hear. Will that be the worldly voice of selfishness? Or, the heavenly voice of love? We cannot serve two masters. James 4:2,4xxxvii tell us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. God wants each and every one of us to be part of His bridal company. What would it mean to be a bride of Christ? Among those who finally are part of that group, will there be selfishness and contention for the first place?

33.    Try to imagine how Jesus felt as He saw His disciples entering the upper room on the night before His crucifixion and arguing among themselves about who should be first in His upcoming earthly kingdom! (Luke 22:24xxxviii)

34.    God wants us to learn to practice His kind of love. It is an all-or-nothing love; the peace and quiet and happiness that it brings are out of this world!

35.    Are we ready to give these ideas from James a try? What do we have to lose? What do we have to gain?

© 2014, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged.    Info@theox.org

i-James 3:13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom. 14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace. 4:1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you. 2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. 3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. 4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy. 5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, "The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires." 6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites! 9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom! 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Deuteronomy 4:6 Obey them faithfully, and this will show the people of other nations how wise you are. When they hear of all these laws, they will say, "What wisdom and understanding this great nation has!'

Galatians 5:17 For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.

Jeremiah 3:6 When Josiah was king, the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what Israel, that unfaithful woman, has done? She has turned away from me, and on every high hill and under every green tree she has acted like a prostitute. 7 I thought that after she had done all this, she would surely return to me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it all. 8 Judah also saw that I divorced Israel and sent her away because she had turned from me and had become a prostitute. But Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, was not afraid. She too became a prostitute 9 and was not at all ashamed. She defiled the land, and she committed adultery by worshiping stones and trees. 10 And after all this, Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, only pretended to return to me; she was not sincere. I, the Lord, have spoken." 3:20 But like an unfaithful wife, you have not been faithful to me. I, the Lord, have spoken."

Acts 19:13 Some Jews who traveled around and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, "I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches." 14 Seven brothers, who were the sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva, were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit said to them, "I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you - who are you?" 16 The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off.

Psalm 24:3 Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy Temple? 4 Those who are pure in act and in thought, who do not worship idols or make false promises. 5 The Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent. 6 Such are the people who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

ii-James 3:13 Are there any of you who are wise and understanding? You are to prove it by your good life, by your good deeds performed with humility and wisdom.

iii-1 Timothy 4:12 Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but be an example for the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, faith, and purity.

iv-Hebrews 13:7 Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate their faith.

v-1 Peter 1:15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy.

1 Peter 2:12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming.

vi-John 13:34 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

vii-Deuteronomy 4:6 Obey them faithfully, and this will show the people of other nations how wise you are. When they hear of all these laws, they will say, "What wisdom and understanding this great nation has!'

viii-James 3:11 No spring of water pours out sweet water and bitter water from the same opening. 14 But if in your heart you are jealous, bitter, and selfish, don't sin against the truth by boasting of your wisdom.

ix-Acts 15:1 Some men came from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the believers, "You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised as the Law of Moses requires." 2 Paul and Barnabas got into a fierce argument with them about this, so it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some of the others in Antioch should go to Jerusalem and see the apostles and elders about this matter. 3 They were sent on their way by the church; and as they went through Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported how the Gentiles had turned to God; this news brought great joy to all the believers. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses."

x-James 3:15 Such wisdom does not come down from heaven; it belongs to the world, it is unspiritual and demonic. 16 Where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is also disorder and every kind of evil.

xi-Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of Man comes as King and all the angels with him, he will sit on his royal throne, 32 and the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the righteous people at his right and the others at his left. 34 Then the King will say to the people on his right, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. 35 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, 36 naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' 37 The righteous will then answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' 40 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, "Away from me, you that are under God's curse! Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry but you would not feed me, thirsty but you would not give me a drink; 43 I was a stranger but you would not welcome me in your homes, naked but you would not clothe me; I was sick and in prison but you would not take care of me.' 44 Then they will answer him, "When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?' 45 The King will reply, "I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.' 46 These, then, will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the righteous will go to eternal life."

xii-Proverbs 14:12 What you think is the right road may lead to death.

Proverbs 16:25 What you think is the right road may lead to death.

xiii-James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.

xiv-John 3:3 Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again." 4 "How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!" 5 "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.

xv-Colossians 3:1 You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God. 2 Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.

xvi-James 4:1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you.

xvii-Galatians 5:17 For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.

xviii-James 4:2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. 3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. 4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.

xix-Jeremiah 3:6 When Josiah was king, the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what Israel, that unfaithful woman, has done? She has turned away from me, and on every high hill and under every green tree she has acted like a prostitute. 7 I thought that after she had done all this, she would surely return to me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it all. 8 Judah also saw that I divorced Israel and sent her away because she had turned from me and had become a prostitute. But Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, was not afraid. She too became a prostitute 9 and was not at all ashamed. She defiled the land, and she committed adultery by worshiping stones and trees. 10 And after all this, Judah, Israel's unfaithful sister, only pretended to return to me; she was not sincere. I, the Lord, have spoken." 20 But like an unfaithful wife, you have not been faithful to me. I, the Lord, have spoken."

xx-Isaiah 54:5 Your Creator will be like a husband to you - the Lord Almighty is his name. The holy God of Israel will save you - he is the ruler of all the world.

xxi-Jeremiah 2:2 to proclaim this message to everyone in Jerusalem. "I remember how faithful you were when you were young, how you loved me when we were first married; you followed me through the desert, through a land that had not been planted.

xxii-Luke 16:13 "No servant can be the slave of two masters; such a slave will hate one and love the other or will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

xxiii-James 4:5 Don't think that there is no truth in the scripture that says, "The spirit that God placed in us is filled with fierce desires." 6 But the grace that God gives is even stronger. As the scripture says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

xxiv-James 4:1 Where do all the fights and quarrels among you come from? They come from your desires for pleasure, which are constantly fighting within you. 2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. 3 And when you ask, you do not receive it, because your motives are bad; you ask for things to use for your own pleasures. 4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.

xxv-James 4:7 So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from you.

xxvi-Acts 19:13 Some Jews who traveled around and drove out evil spirits also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They said to the evil spirits, "I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches." 14 Seven brothers, who were the sons of a Jewish High Priest named Sceva, were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit said to them, "I know Jesus, and I know about Paul; but you - who are you?" 16 The man who had the evil spirit in him attacked them with such violence that he overpowered them all. They ran away from his house, wounded and with their clothes torn off.

xxvii-James 4:8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners! Purify your hearts, you hypocrites! 9 Be sorrowful, cry, and weep; change your laughter into crying, your joy into gloom! 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

xxviii-Isaiah 14:12 King of Babylon, bright morning star, you have fallen from heaven! In the past you conquered nations, but now you have been thrown to the ground. 13 You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble. 14 You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty.

xxix-Psalm 24:3 Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy Temple? 4 Those who are pure in act and in thought, who do not worship idols or make false promises. 5 The Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent. 6 Such are the people who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.

xxx-James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

xxxi-Mark 9:35 Jesus sat down, called the twelve disciples, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all."

xxxii-Luke 14:7 Jesus noticed how some of the guests were choosing the best places, so he told this parable to all of them: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place. It could happen that someone more important than you has been invited, 9 and your host, who invited both of you, would have to come and say to you, "Let him have this place.' Then you would be embarrassed and have to sit in the lowest place. 10 Instead, when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that your host will come to you and say, "Come on up, my friend, to a better place.' This will bring you honor in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

xxxiii-Deuteronomy 4:6 Obey them faithfully, and this will show the people of other nations how wise you are. When they hear of all these laws, they will say, "What wisdom and understanding this great nation has!'

xxxiv-1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;

xxxv-Ephesians 4:2 Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another.

xxxvi-James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is pure first of all; it is also peaceful, gentle, and friendly; it is full of compassion and produces a harvest of good deeds; it is free from prejudice and hypocrisy. 18 And goodness is the harvest that is produced from the seeds the peacemakers plant in peace.

xxxvii-James 4:2 You want things, but you cannot have them, so you are ready to kill; you strongly desire things, but you cannot get them, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have what you want because you do not ask God for it. 4 Unfaithful people! Don't you know that to be the world's friend means to be God's enemy? If you want to be the world's friend, you make yourself God's enemy.

xxxviii-Luke 22:24 An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest.

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xxxv

xxxvi

xxxvii

xxxviii

i-

ii-

iii-

iv-

v-

vi-

vii-

viii-

ix-

x-

xi-

xii-