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Poverty and Wealth (James 1:9-11)
"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?"