October 13, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

Wealth and Waiting

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord Jesus, may this be a good day, with things done well. I ask for poise and peace of mind.

Read James 5:1-12

[1] Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. [2] Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. [3] Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. [4] Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. [5] You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. [7] Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. [8] You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. [9] Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! [10] Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. [11] As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. [12] Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

“When riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost his authority” (John Calvin). That truth ought to jolt us.

James writes with the raw ferocity of an Old Testament prophet (1-6). We can sometimes think of the wealthy as respectable; here they are just deaf! So James shrieks his warning, not about global recession but about future judgment (1). Jesus knew what he was saying when he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24).

The misuse of riches is the focus of the warnings. Here wealth has become a treasure that will have no value in the last day and is already rotting now (2,3), but Jesus’ warning that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21) has been ignored. Calvin said, “God has not appointed gold for rust or garments for moths, but, on the contrary he has designed them as aids and helps to human life.” Here wealth amassed and luxuries stockpiled beside the pathetic pay slips offered to laborers are all the evidence needed to convict of grotesque injustice (4,5). It is not wealth creation so much as ruthless exploitation that is exposed here (6).

In verses 7-12, we find a mood swing from the blazing anger at the searing injustice captured in 1-6 to this tender, arm-around-the-shoulder warmth. The facts haven’t changed; exploitation, oppression and the Lord’s coming still form the backdrop to what James writes. The second coming of Jesus changes everything. James is very clear that the present is not the end of the story. This is a word of hope, not despair. “The Judge is standing at the door” (9). If yesterday that was an ominous warning, today it is designed to put a smile on the face of the suffering: vindication is just around the corner. These brothers and sisters will know that and more.

James also reminds his readers to watch their language (9,12). Under pressure our tongue can get carried away, but it is the Judge who will bring about the revolution (11), not our swearing and cursing!

Apply

Time to check our treasures and our generosity. Where does the evidence of our lifestyle point?

Closing prayer

Lord, I pray for a patient, trusting heart. I ask also for opportunities to work for justice in my place of influence.

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