Expectations and Entitlement

EXPECTATIONS & ENTITLEMENT:

Seeds don’t penetrate compacted soil. Jesus referenced that point in one of His parables in Matthew 13:4, “...some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”

James was Jesus’ younger brother. In Mark’s gospel we find out that Mary, Jesus’ mother, along with His siblings (James included) were embarrassed of Jesus’ shenanigans. In Mark 3:20-21 we read:

“Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” And in 3:31-32 we read, “Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’”

Yet, later, James was one of the leaders of the early Church. James was so influential, and was held in such high regard, that even the Apostle Paul reported to him. In Acts 21:18-19 we read, “...Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”

Something drastic happened to James, which caused him to shift from thinking Jesus was a total nut-job who needed to be “collected,” to becoming one of the most influential leaders of the early Church.

The “something” that happened to James is exactly what James wrote about in the New Testament book of James.

James is clearly writing “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (1:1), which specifically references the persecution of Jewish Christians of Jerusalem who had been “scattered” by zealous old-school Jews that rejected Jesus as the prophesied Messiah.

In writing to these scattered Jewish Christians, James is addressing the vile underlying issue of expectations and entitlement.

Selfishness always separates us from God - always. Selfishness is what caused Adam to neglect his responsibility to Eve. Selfishness is what led Eve to have a discussion with the serpent. Selfishness is rooted in flawed expectations and results in a sense of entitlement.

James was writing to the Christian Jews of the diaspora (scattering), but while that was his immediate audience - it was not his exclusive audience. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” James wasn’t written directly to us today - the contemporary audience - but it was written for us.

How do I know? Because 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says so, and because we all suffer from the same sin disease - selfishness.

Before the Jews or nation of Israel ever existed, their father, Abraham, was promised by God (because of Abraham’s faith) “...all the peoples/nations on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:3).

Abraham’s son, Isaac, became the immediate fulfillment of that blessing. Isaac had a son named Jacob whose name later was changed to Israel by God. Throughout Israel’s national history - as chronicled throughout the Old Testament - they rejected God and His sovereignty over, and over, and over, and over again. God finally removed Himself from their presence (vacating the temple), allowed foreign nations to come in, wipe them out, cast them into exile, marry their women, enslave their children, destroy their temple, and occupy their land - ALL THINGS God prophesied would happen if they would not repent (turn from) their idolatry, wickedness, and embracing/adopting the practices of the peoples/nations around them rather than loving and trusting God.

The Jews spent approximately 400 years in exile as a result of the Assyrian and Babylonian incursions. When Jesus came on the scene the temple had been “restored,” but it was nothing compared to what Solomon had originally built, and the Jews were STILL under foreign (Roman) rule/occupation. The Jews longed for their prophesied Messiah/King who would obliterate the Romans - and everyone else who messed with them for that matter - and put Israel back on TOP again!

The Jews longed for significance, control, and comfort. When Jesus came as a humble servant - NOT - as the warrior-king they EXPECTED, the Jews rejected Him completely and nailed Him to the Cross for blasphemy. Why? Because they were ENTITLED to more - or so they thought.

Sin frequently creeps in and camps out in our lives because we have jacked up and busted expectations. Those expectations frequently boil down to, or manifest themselves as, entitlements.

•  I’m in control
•  I deserve this
•  I want recognition
•  I’m entitled to _________

James breaks out the HEAVY LUMBER and provides the perfect remedy to the Jews of the diaspora, and to us. In effect, James says “SHUT UP! You’re a bunch of sin-riddled whiny-babies!”

The Jewish Christians were quick to forget their place within the context of God’s plan. They were quick to forget that Abraham and Rahab were justified by their faith, which was validated by actions/works. They had already forgotten that as a nation they were rejected by God for their constant pursuit of SELFISHNESS, SIGNIFICANCE, CONTROL, and COMFORT, i.e. their SIN. They had forgotten the exile was a result of their rejection of/by God. They’d forgotten that they were the very same men and women who had persecuted Jesus because He didn’t live up to their expectations as a warrior-king. They’d forgotten their bickering over places of honor, their obnoxious pomp-and-circumstance - AND most importantly they’d forgotten ALL THAT resulted in their being separated from and rejected by God.

Therefore, James demands in 3:13 “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Is it those who seek approval, significance, power, affluence, control, and renown through positions of status and stature? Is it those who desire to become teachers so that they can be worshiped for their wisdom and status? Are wisdom and understanding found in the very things that led Adam & Eve to be cast out of God’s presence? Are wisdom and understanding the pursuits and priorities the nation of Israel heralded as more important than relationship with Yahweh Elohim, viz. God Almighty?

James points out "that kind" of pseudo-wisdom and understanding is flawed and fatal because it is contrary to the character and nature of God. When our goals and our expectations for life are self-serving it plays out as seeking power, control, significance, comfort, accolades, recognition, etc. Behind the veil of jacked-up expectations is the sin issue of ENTITLEMENT. Our expectations are busted because, honestly, we don’t trust that God is capable, concerned, invested, or involved in our lives.

For all those who consider themselves the “wise and understanding,” those who chase after the things of the world, who deliberately choose self-fulfillment over self-sacrifice, who make themselves the center of the universe rather than God, who are haughty rather than humble…  James says in 4:7-10...

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Submit, resist, come, wash, purify, grieve, mourn, and wail.

At one point James thought his brother, Jesus, was a total nut-job, and that He/Jesus needed to be collected. James thought Jesus was an embarrassment to their family’s honor and status in the Jewish culture.

Something happened to James. He encountered the risen Christ and his entire worldview was radically transformed. Jesus went from being a nut-job to Messiah, from loony to LORD, from sick to Sovereign.

James was an authority on the sickness of the human heart and all of its lies and perversions. James knew what it was to seek after the things of the world and to reject the things of God. James knew he deserved exactly what Adam & Eve received - a death sentence. James knew he deserved what the nation of Israel received - destruction and exile.

When James wrote “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations,” he prefaced it with FROM: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

James’ expectations and entitlements had been radically altered by his brother, friend, and Savior - Jesus. James’ entitlements were left at the foot of the Cross when his big brother willingly went, stayed, and died - for James.

James became bereft of any and all expectations or entitlements because Christ reigned in his heart.

The underlying sin of selfishness, which leads to flawed EXPECTATIONS and ENTITLEMENTS, evaporate when we encounter submit, resist, come, wash, and purify ourselves in Jesus' righteousness.

James compel us to examine the fruit of our lives and to recognize that if we are caught up in bickering, envy, jealousy, and worldly pursuits of power and affluence then we must “Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom” because our laughter is fleeting and our joy is misplaced. Jesus’ brother pleads with us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Is there evidence of selfishness or submission in your life? Are you seeking after the things of the world: power, affluence, control, significance, accolades, renown…  or are you seeking after the things of God: humility, compassion, love, peace, joy…

James went so far as to dedicate his life to the Church and write to all the Jewish Christians who had been scattered “among the nations.” He humbled himself and offered his life - the one redeemed by the blood of Jesus - back to God for His eternal glory.

Will you allow yourself to be changed through an encounter with Christ? Will you surrender to Him and be lifted up? Or will you allow these seeds of God’s truth to fall on the hard-packed soil of your heart?

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com