2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
For a man who wrote somewhere between 45 and 48 AD, our parent-apostle, James, certainly had ideas which apply to our lives in America in the year 2000. This is particularly true regarding JAS 5: 1-6, his warning to the rich. The English language can often lead a person reading it to misunderstanding because of the general nature of its words. The word, rich, is an example here, because it doesn’t say what kind of rich. Greek on the other hand is a very accurate language, having different words for different meanings. In this case, rich, means materially rich, not spiritually rich. JAS 5: 1-3, “And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days.” These are harsh words. Inherent in them is James’ [and might I say God’s] pent up frustration at mankind’s materialism. They demand of anyone who reads them that he examine the content of his heart regarding the acquisition and relative importance of material possessions.
When Peter’s mother died, I ended up receiving her wedding rings. If given a choice I would much prefer to have her still with us than to have these rings. However, seeing them sitting in their little box in my drawer brought some rather profound thoughts to me. She is with the Lord now. Seeing those rings on her fingers is a memory. They are useless where they sit. They have been left behind. Their value can’t bring Mary back or make our lives any better. Such is the nature of things of this world. Because of my husband’s feelings, I will leave the rings in the drawer. If he ever wants the stones in them, they are his to do with as he sees fit. The lesson I learn from seeing them there is the only real value they have. What really matters is the things of the Lord and how they can better the lives of people.
Christ spoke about this in MT 6: 19-21, a citation which bears repeating. “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.” I am reminded of the story of Rachel taking the household gods from her father, Laban [GN 31: 19]. The story that follows in GN 31: 22-44 of Laban hunting Jacob down and searching his belongings is an example of how holding on to material things for the wrong reasons can bring trouble. I hope you will read it. Another such example is the story of the golden calf in EX 32: 1-35 & DT 9: 6-29, which I also hope you will read. Both of these stories are really about idolatry, and materialism is a form of idolatry. So, God’s teaching on this subject really goes back as far as EX 20: 5, “Do not bow down to any idol or worship it, because I am the Lord your God and I tolerate no rivals. I bring punishment on those who hate Me and on their descendants down to the third and fourth generation.” It is interesting to note that God inspired Luke in LK 12: 33-34 and Paul in COL 3: 1-4 to offer the same message about putting your treasures in heaven over doing so on earth. We need to pay attention when the Lord inspires so many people throughout different times in history to come forth with the same message.
We have all heard stories of wealthy employers who live in the lap of luxury while at the same time being stingy about paying their employees. God, through James, lets us know how repugnant He finds this practice in JAS 5: 4-6. “You have not paid any wages to the men who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty. Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you.” There is a limit to how much evil God will allow in a given situation. From RO 3: 26, we know that God punishes evil to demonstrate His righteousness. He will not let it go on indefinitely. Hearing this citation reminds me of another like it that happened a long time before James wrote it. When the time came for the Jews to be released from bondage in Egypt, God had reached the limit of His patience with Pharaoh’s stiff-necked refusal to release them. He had heard the cries of His people ,Israel, and decided to take action to free them. EX 2: 23-24, “Years later the king of Egypt died, but the Israelites were still groaning under their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry went up to God, Who heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He saw the slavery of the Israelites and was concerned for them.”
PRAYER: O Lord, in Your infinite wisdom, You know that sinful people take advantage of others in the pursuit of greed, materialism, and other forms of idolatry. You have such a heart of compassion that You warn us through many Scripture writers of the same message: We should value the things of heaven and not those of earth. You are a just and totally righteous Deity, so You demonstrate that righteousness by placing limits on how much human sin You will tolerate. We are protected and blessed by that. You deserve our eternal gratitude for it. Just as the Pharaoh and other cruel Egyptians had to suffer the lost of their first-born sons, so others who are greedy and cruel will suffer their punishment in Your own time. When we trust and obey You, we need never fear Your condemnation. We adore You for granting us life through greatest sacrifice ever made, Jesus Christ. We dedicate ourselves to learning Your lesson about the dangers of materialism and to evaluating the content of our own lives to weed out any sin we have in this area. In Christ’s name, amen.
Our God is both awesome and compassionate. He loves us enough to inspire writers from the earliest parts of human history to the present to reveal His teaching to guide us through the temptations that Satan puts in our path. God’s love for us is real and personal; it is not just for some believers and not for others. It’s for all of us everyday. We can find real comfort in knowing that we can always rely on our loving Abba to be there for us when we are willing to be obedient to Him and faithful in His Son. Peter and I also send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn