Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

(Moo, 184), “the logical concomitant,” “the ultimate expression of envy”
(Johnson, 277-278). It is not just “a hyperbole for hatred” (Burdick, 193, with
reference to Mt. 5:21-22; and 1 John 3:15). While it is certainly included in it,
it is not restricted to it. It may take on a variety of forms, such as killing the
competition, neutralizing threatening kill-joys, ridiculing wholesome admonition,
refusing healthy advice, ignoring wise counsel, etc. It is all part of
“murdering,” whether a little or a lot. Further, if bloodless elimination efforts
are unsuccessful, more drastic, in fact, “bloody” steps will be taken, including
the ultimate solution of downright murder. At any rate, the contrast between
the demonstration of godly deeds in the meekness of wisdom and the violence
inherent in the (il)logic of envy could not be starker (Johnson, 279)! 318
Incidentally, “lust” may produce a temporary “high,” but will never arrive
at lasting happiness and contentment. It is like a bottomless pit. It devours
even what it does get, so that it never really has anything, even after
“everything” were to be acquired (2 Sam. 13:15). It is explicitly forbidden in
the Tenth Commandment, which deals with the human heart. The question
has been asked why this Commandment is necessary, since each of the other
commandments penetrates to the heart’s level as well (Mt. 5:21-22; 5:27-28).
The answer is this. While the other commandments are “general practitioners,”
dealing with the heart, as the need arises, the Tenth Commandment is a
“trained specialist,” with the heart as its sole focus. It targets the heart as the
smoke-filled backroom, where people deliberately go about their scheming
ways, and hatch hidden as well as elaborate, if not “deadly,” plans, to obtain
what is not theirs. 319 Of course, all transgressions of the law start in man’s
mission control center (Prov. 4:23). But the Tenth Commandment targets the
heart as a full-fledged conspiracy center and sinister egg-hatching factory
that, first, identifies targets, subsequently, maps out elaborate plans as well as
strategies to reach these targets, and, finally, poises to go after them in hot,
painstaking, and devastating pursuit.
All this indicates that they aim to stop at nothing to reach their objective.
Any barrier of whatever sort must be marginalized, removed, eliminated, or
annihilated. Interference simply will not be tolerated. People are known to
have been railroaded, manipulated, painted in a corner, sidetracked, or even
318 The same applies to the contrast between the recommended conduct in James 1:9-10 and
the documented conduct of James 4:1-6. Where folks felt they lacked something, they manifestly
did not exult in contentment about their present riches in Christ, and where they
abounded in something, they did not thankfully exult in anticipation of their future loss!
319 One of the most telling, and gruesome, examples of this type of behavior is found in 1
Kings 21, where Jezebel and Ahab hatched their plot to kill Naboth in order to take occupancy
of his land. It is equally telling that it did not pay off the way they anticipated. It precipitated a
type of death for both of them that was as gruesome as their plot.
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