Humility By The Rich (James 1:10-11)

Tom Lowe

1/21/2021

Lesson 7: Humility by the Rich (James 1:10-11)

James 1:10-11 (KJV)

But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

INTRODUCTION

Now James has something to say to those who God considers rich. At this point, I would like to clarify who James is talking to in this verse. However, James does not tell us in so many words what he means by “rich” in each portion of his letter. James chapter 5 begins with a lengthy – for James – rant against the “rich.” He even tells them to “Go . . . now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you” (James 5:1). The Greedy rich, which he tirades against, is a small part of the rich mentioned in verses 10-12. One can be rich without being greedy. Many godly wealthy persons give extravagantly and love intensely. James 1:10-11 pertains to the entire population of rich people regardless of their actions or intentions. Now that I have taken care of that let us consider what God wants to say through these verses.

COMMENTARY

James 1:10 (KJV)

But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. (1:10)

James 1:11 (KJV)

For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

James does not have anything to say against working hard and being diligent, seeking to provide for your family and those in need. God will bless the demanding work we do and show us kindness in this life. But the most significant symbol of wealth and the most beautiful treasure lies in the crown of life, which He promised to those who love Him. In the end, this verse, along with those surrounding it, has little to do with money and has everything to do with eternity and the Cross [salvation].

James encourages all wealthy people to boast in their “humiliation,” knowing that the absolute reality is that they do not truly own anything. Many Christian people find this thought so intense that they intentionally or unintentionally deny its truth and cling to a mind crowded with things [belongings]. As Christians, we should step away from any childish denial and boast in this immediately humiliating, eternally satisfying truth. For you, it is an honor to be dishonored for Christ.

When God acts, the low are raised, and the high are brought down. Joseph goes from prison to prominence, Nebuchadnezzar goes from the throne to the field. God declares His values, and human values are null and void. This is how it will be at the end of the age. James wants his readers to rejoice in this coming reality. When I teach the Book of James, I liken it to a school, but not one of this countries outstanding universities; rather, the School of Hard Knocks. I was a student there, and I learned much; how about you? This is the school most of us are in today; we never graduated.

God wants to bring all those who are His own to full maturity as Christians, and he has many tests for doing that. He evaluates all His children to see whether they are genuine and weeds out the phonies and pseudo saints. We should not regard our trials as evidence that we are not his children but as proof positive our faith. My friend, if you are not having a little trouble today, you should question your salvation; if you are having trouble, it is a good sign that you belong to Him. While God has many goals in His testing, the one James has emphasized here is patience. God not only wants to give you proof that you are a genuine child of His, but he also wants to produce patience in your life, and He does that by providing you some trouble. Someone has expressed it like this: “If I must carry a burden, Christ will carry me.” Sometimes we must be laid low before we look high. In ourselves, we are weak, even when we are strong. In Christ, we are strong. It is not how long you will live, but how you are going to live. It is essential to have this perspective.

I do not know the last time you were “made low” [humiliated]. Often, we try to downplay our humiliation to make ourselves feel better, but in the end, we can even feel less valuable by being offended. We tend to think of the rich as overprivileged, but Jesus taught that they were underprivileged – spiritually. That is the entire point of the rich young man’s story, who came to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17). Thus, after Jesus told him to sell all, he went away sad because he had great wealth (Mark 10:22).