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| Poverty and Wealth (James 1:9-11) | |||||
 Printer Friendly Version - opens in separate window "Would it spoil some vast eternal plan," sang Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, "if I were a wealthy man?" These days in some Christian circles it is almost a requirement that a "true believer" is wealthy. Giving is sometimes characterised as "sowing seeds of faith" that are intended to return tenfold or more to the giver. Of course Jesus said:"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Mt.6:19-22) James is addressing this same question here and may well have been writing to Christians dispersed across the Roman Empire after the stoning of Stephen and who were now struggling under the famine prophesied in Acts 11:28,29. These were Christians who had suffered persecution, been "scattered throughout Judea and Samaria" Acts 8:1, and were now contending with famine. James is reminding them of two things: "The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position" James here is not simply writing about people who are short of cash but has in mind those who are low on the socio-economic scale. The poor and powerless should "take pride in [their] high position". The word translated "high position" is literally "exaltation" and the taking pride is not the boast of the self-important but the pride of someone who values what God values. Paul reminds us: "Because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus" (Eph.2:4-6) This is the exaltation James has in mind, i.e. God has exalted us to be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Paul also wrote: "Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (Philip.3:20,21) As a citizen of heaven, exalted to sit with Christ, the lowliest must look beyond their circumstances and can take pride in their high position. The rich man, however, is also reminded: "But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower" Just as the lowliest must look beyond their circumstances, so those abounding in wealth must take the same view, realising that, "the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business". Both are brothers in Christ and both must realise that the poverty and wealth of this world will pass away but both the poor and the rich who trust in Christ will know exaltation in the world to come, indeed share in that inheritance because of Christ. For both, this is their only lasting security. Finally, James reminds us of the words of Isaiah: "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands for ever" (Is.40:6-8) The true believer values what God values, takes pride in heavenly citizenship and, whether lowly or enjoying legitimate blessing in this world holds lightly the things of this world and looks confidently to the world to come. This is the message we offer when we witness, we must remember it, we must not be embarrassed by it and we must realise that it is an urgent message for those who harbour a false hope for that world. We must get the message right because, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" |
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