Got Wealth? Beware!

In our previous study of James 1:9-11, we noted that James is warning believers who may be suffering a trial of poverty. He encourages them to stay focused by having a heavenly perspective, reminding them that God honors the poor (showing true prosperity).

James now turns his attention to the rich and warns them.  It is as though James were saying, “And you guys who are rich, you also be sure to keep a heavenly perspective.  Be sure to view your riches with eternity in mind and, when you do that, you won’t expect your riches to last and you won’t look to your riches for ultimate security and ultimate happiness.”

Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 
but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

James 1:9-11

This is probably the greater challenge for most of us reading this post.  Most of us are very wealthy in terms of global standards of living.  Most American Christians are doing very well by worldly metrics.  So if the “lowly brother” is to “glory in his exaltation (verse 9),” we read now in verse 10: “but the rich in his humiliation.”

God humbles the rich (showing true poverty) 

See how James addresses both rich and poor insofar as trials are concerned?  The wise Christian understands that God works through both trials of poverty and prosperity to strengthen faith, to strengthen trust, to strengthen our dependence upon Him.

James teaches here that the rich Christian should glory (or thank God for) not his exaltation, which is what we may have expected if we were thinking in purely secular or worldly terms, but in his humiliation, his low standing from God’s viewpoint, from a heavenly perspective.

Too many of us are tempted to believe that riches are everything: “Get riches and you’re on top of the world!”  This faulty thinking creeps into the church, even the most conservative, Bible-believing, Christ-honoring churches.

Some self-examination may be helpful here.  Do you have a greater tendency to desire to be around wealthy Christians or poor Christians?  Don’t answer too quickly here, just be honest with yourself.  Do you hope some of the “worldly success” of the rich rubs off on you or that your status may be somehow elevated if you are around them?

James teaches that those who have much don’t have as much as we may think.  What they have may pass away in a moment, or they may pass away in a moment.  This is the point of verses 10 and following.  James says the rich Christian—the wise, rich Christian—humbles himself by understanding that dependence upon his worldly riches is wrong because his life is relatively short and unpredictable.  

Of course, what is true for the rich person is true for every person.  Every person will die.  Compared to eternity, our lives are short whether we live to be a hundred years old or older.  The duration of our lives is like a beautiful summer day when the sun is shining, and it is warm, and we smile, and everything feels just right but then, in a moment, “no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.” 

James is speaking metaphorically, which means he’s talking not so much about the grass dying suddenly as he is talking about people dying suddenly, Christians dying suddenly.  And not just poor Christians dying suddenly, but also rich Christians dying suddenly.  His teaching here is similar to the question he asks later in chapter 4: “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (James 4:14).”

See the great tragedy in a person’s living merely for riches!  Christians must hold on to their wealth loosely, knowing the joy of giving to others, giving to the church, giving to support missionaries and other kingdom work.

True poverty is not having little in this world.  True poverty is not even having much in this world.  True poverty is having much in this world and living only for this world.

So often James sounds like his half-brother, Jesus.  Jesus taught this same way of regarding material things in His Sermon on the Mount:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

James frequently echoes the teachings of Christ.  In fact, his letter contains no fewer than twenty-six allusions to the words of Jesus.  Even James’ teaching on the “double-minded man (James 1:8),” sounds a bit like our Lord’s teaching on divided loyalties:

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”—Matthew 6:24

When it comes to trials of poverty and prosperity, we must maintain a heavenly perspective.  And there is something else here, but we’ll save that for next time!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 23-26, available on Amazon.