ACC ~ James 4 v2

ASK FOR RIGHT MOTIVES. BEDE: The reason that you struggle but fail to obtain what you want is that you do not ask God to give these things to you. For if you ask him with the right motives, he will give you not only everything you need here on earth but also what you need to get to heaven. CONCERNING THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES.

THE OPPOSITE OBTAINED FROM WRONG DESIRES. OECUMENIUS: James proceeds here by way of thesis and antithesis. The thesis, that is, what they desire, is absurd to begin with, but the way they go about getting what they want ensures the exact opposite. Murder and fighting are not good things, but neither do the good things which they desire follow from them. Note also that here James speaks of murder and of fighting as spiritual things, not physical ones. It would be bad enough to think this kind of thing about robbers, but how much worse it is when we are dealing with people who have a certain amount of faith and who have turned to God. These are people who are trying to kill the soul and to fight against godliness. COMMENTARY ON JAMES.

Jas