5:1-6 Superior Faith is not Found in Greed
Once again James blows his spiritual whistle and calls for the attention of a specific group. He leaves no question regarding the status of those wealthy people who have used their wealth as a sign of their supposed superior faith. In fact, James now emphasizes that not only are they NOT right with God, but that judgment is coming. Their greedy behavior is not bringing God’s blessing, but rather God’s righteous judgment. In fact, God’s judgment has already caught up with them. The wealth they have sought to use as a mark of superior faith have marked them for the exact opposite. Their gold and silver aren’t shining examples of superior faith but instead of dreadful sin. Their goods are already rotten and corroded. Their wealthy clothing was already ample testimony of their sinful behavior, but judgment would be passed against them. Their gold and silver was tarnished- it had lost its appeal.
James names four specific sins of these wealthy folks. First, they had hoarded wealth. They had failed to pay debts. They had lived in luxury and self-indulgence. They had murdered innocent men.
It isn’t wrong to have wealth, but it is wrong to hoard that wealth. However, they were acting in extreme selfishness. Obviously the idea that hoarding wealth was a way of refusing to submit their possessions and monetary goals to the Lord.
When we adopted my son, Joshua, he was sixteen months. He had already began speaking Korean. Once in awhile he would get angry about something and begin spouting off one word in a repetitive manner. I finally was able to ask someone who spoke Korean what he was saying. With a huge grin our interpreter told us, “He is saying ‘Mine! Mine! Mine!” Isn’t it human nature to try to lay claim to as much as we possibly can?
Maybe it is in the nature of a duck as well, at least if his name is Daffy. One of my favorite Warner Brothers cartoons features Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny running into a vast treasure trove of wealth. Daffy responds in greed claiming everything he can possibly see while Bugs continues to study the map trying to figure out if he really should have made that left turn at Albuquerque or not. Daffy quickly runs afoul of the treasure’s guardian, while Bugs remains focused on getting to Pismo Beach.
I think that wealth can cause us to lose our perspective. We can respond like a child claiming it is “Mine! Mine! Mine!” or we can submit all that we have to God the Father. We can act like Daffy Duck and become so distracted by the allure of wealth that we do not continue the journey we are supposed to be on. The sin of hoarding deals with both selfishness and distraction. These rich people wanted to use their wealth to display their righteousness but God was already judging them because of their selfishness and loss of perspective.
Personally, I cannot disconnect this selfish hoarding of wealth from their refusal to pay those who harvested their crops. It is one thing to find a way to earn money but entirely different to get rich at the expense of others. These people had not only accumulated wealth, but had done so by cheating others. James claims that the very coins that they have in their possession are crying out in testimony against them. They refuse to be silent. They are practically screaming “Cheat!”
The Jews considered inanimate objects to be in tune with God. Joshua calls for the building of a monument and warns the children of Israel that if they fail to keep their commitment to God that the very stones of the monument would testify against them. Jesus tells the complaining Pharisees at the triumphal entry that if he silenced his disciples the very rocks would cry out in testimony of his authority as the Messiah. James wants his readers to know that we cannot hide our sin. The coins themselves offered testimony by their presence.
The third charge that James placed on these rich folks is that they indulged themselves in wastefulness. In fact, they had fattened themselves up, much like cattle are fattened for the slaughter. They lived as if there was no tomorrow. In God’s kingdom, there is always a day of reckoning. The fatted calf’s only purpose is the slaughterhouse. He indulgences himself with no thoughts of the day when he is called to judgment. He eats and eats selfishly. He fills his belly and never seems to notice that he is in the fattening pen while his fellow calves are out on the pasture. He consumes the grain and the cracked corn with gusto without regard that every pound he puts on brings him closer to the slaughter. In the same way, this rich people indulged themselves day after day only bringing themselves closer to God’s divine judgment.
The final charge that James fire at the rich is the claim that they had murdered righteous men. I would like to assume that this is figuratively speaking, but it appears to be literal. I don’t think that James is speaking of early church martyrs like Stephen. I think that James was speaking of at least one specific case in which the rich people who claimed superior faith had used the law to eliminate innocent men. The Greek word diakon has a literal meaning of a righteous person. In other words, these rich people had used their worldly influence to bring about the death of good men. James calls the condemnation of innocent men nothing short of murder. He further declares another sad fact—these righteous folks didn’t even fight back—they were never a threat.
How did these rich folks take the lives of the righteous? I believe that they took them to court to cheat them out of wages and starved some of them. I believe that some were falsely accused of crimes, convicted, and executed.
God is very concerned about justice. One of the causes of both Israel and Judah suffering the exiles that they endured was the failure of their national justice system. Witnesses and judges were bribed and the poor did not have a chance to obtain justice no matter how much they pleaded. If God judged His people in the Old Testament period for perverting justice then He will do the same when those who claim to be God’s people pervert justice today. Superior faith seeks justice.
5:7-11 Superior Faith is Patient
James turns his attention to those he calls brothers and asks them to be patient while they wait on the Lord’s coming. He reassures them that the rich oppressors will soon face God’s judgment and encourages these brothers to wait patiently.
How do we wait patiently on God? We all want patience and we all want it right now! It is difficult to be patient when we are the victims of injustice. How can this possibly be accomplished? I think Paul and Silas in that prison cell in Philippi provide some practical insight to what James is telling these folks here. After being unjustly accused, beaten, and locked down in a cold dungeon these heroes of the faith were singing and worshipping God. While I am certain that they were uncomfortable and in great pain they managed to move their focus from their miserable circumstances to a living, powerful, and personal God.
The readers should have been encouraged by James’ emphasis on the Lord’s coming. First, he tells them to be patient until the Lord comes. Then he tells them that the Lord’s coming is near. Then he tells them that the judge is standing at the door prepared to enter at any time.
In this section, James uses three illustrations of patient endurance for the believers to follow. His first illustration is the farmer. Then he uses the historical examples of the prophets. Finally, he emphasizes the experience of Job and God’s graciousness towards him.
His first illustration is the farmer waiting for the land to yield its crop. I doubt that James ever visited the coffee shop in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma (or just about any other agricultural area) where the farmers sit around and discuss how little (or how much) rain they have received. They don’t seem very patient to me. Today, if rain doesn’t come, the farmer may have options of modern irrigation methods. However, in the Biblical time the farmer was dependent upon the seasonal rains to bring about life to the crops he had planted. James is declaring that patience comes from being totally dependant on God.
The second illustration is his brief mention of the prophets. They were speaking in the name of the Lord, but yet underwent great persecution. James wanted his brothers to know that serving the Lord did not make a believer immune to persecution. He uses this illustration to convince them to tough it out, to endure the suffering that they were going through.
His final illustration is the experience of the suffering of Job. Job never gave up on God. He despaired, but continued to cry out to God. He endured and eventually God poured out a great blessing on him. If you read Job carefully, you will discover that Job wasn’t patient, but he kept on waiting on God. He continued to listen to God. That, I believe, is the very source of patience. When we appeal to God in our despair, our sorrow, our pain, but continue to honor Him as Lord we discover fountains of patience within us as we submit our lives to him.
Did I miss something? Right in the middle of this passage James gives a very specific command. He tells them not to grumble against one another because the Lord is ready to judge. Psalm 37:5-6 is an important Scripture to me. The New International Version says, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” The Psalm goes on to warn us not to take get angry or even worry about wicked people because the Lord will take care of them.
I truly believe that there are times when we get in God’s way. God wants to judge or discipline those who have come against us but we refuse to allow him to do so. Our very attitude prevents Him from dispensing judgment. I enjoy some of the reality court television programs. One of my favorites is Judge Judy. I know, she is abrasive and even insulting at times. I get tickled because often because a plaintiff or a defendant in one of those cases will hold his or her hand up in an effort to speak. Often, Judge Judy will say abruptly, “Put your hand down! Does it look like you are losing?” or “Does it look like I need your help?” I use this silly illustration because so often we are so busy verbally attacking those who have wronged us that we delay God’s justice. If you are busy griping about somebody then you aren’t seeking relief from God. In fact, you are not trusting God at all. You’re still trying to exact your own vengeance or obtain your own verdict before men.
5:12 Superior Faith is characterized by Honest Communication
This verse is a very strong echo of the words of the Lord Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. The teaching is about honest communication. It is about speaking in a clear and honest manner that does not require the reinforcement of an oath. It is about developing a reputation for honesty and integrity that creates trust.
This concept has more depth than simply telling the truth, though. It has the idea of keeping your word and being consistent. It means that when you make a deal it is a deal. When you promise to perform you will perform. It also means that people can count on your “no” to really mean no.
5:13-18 Superior Faith Responds to God
This passage is made of two parts. First, James describes life’s circumstances as a call to prayer. Then he offers a Biblical example of effective prayer from the Old Testament.
James has already declared that we are not grumble our way through hard times. Now he tells us the proper response to trouble. It is very obvious that the appropriate response to being in trouble is to pray.
However, if things are going well we are to sing out in praise. If we are sick we are to seek God’s healing through the prayer of faith offered by the elders. In other words, in almost every circumstance we are to respond by turning to God either in earnest need or in sincere praise that flows from our heart.
I believe in God’s divine healing. I don’t believe in healing services. People brought sick and ailing folks to Jesus and later to the apostle Paul. However, nowhere do I see Jesus calling for those folks to come to him. This passage makes it very clear that the sick are to call for the aid of the church (through the elders) rather than the church calling for the sick to come and be healed. The difference is that it is a demonstration of faith for the sick to call for the elders.
I believe in anointing the sick with oil. Some folks believe that this is a reference to applying healing salves, etc. I do not think that this is an effort to turn the elders of the church into physicians, but rather has more of a spiritual symbolism. Oil was used in Biblical times as a medicinal bath (perhaps in an attempt to hydrate dry skin or to lower fevers) but I think it is applied more than as a healing salve here. Its connection with prayer and even sin is a strong inference of its spiritual significance rather than its physical application.
Every sickness is not caused by sin, but, sadly, some are. I believe a person who has fallen ill because of God’s judgment already knows what sins God is judging him for. If you are under God’s discipline you already know why he is disciplining you and you need to repent.
I have a crippled elbow that will never see full healing. How did it come about? I pointed my nose in a direction that was in direct violation to God’s will. In the late 1980’s I had toyed with the idea of serving as a reserve police officer in our local city. I had all the reasons why it would make me a better pastor. I felt it would help me know the community better. I figured I would be in contact with more people in the community. I could help people. Despite all my reasoning, I knew for certain that this was not really God’s will, so I cast the idea aside. I had received counsel from brothers in the church, felt the Holy Spirit lead me away from the concept, and renewed my efforts in the local ministry of the church, at least until January of 1990 when I made a decision that I would go in this direction. I planned to go down and start the registration process on Monday afternoon and had not even told my wife yet. On the first Saturday of 1990, I was riding my horse and had a very strange accident. To this day I am not certain what happened, but my vague recollection is the horse stumbled as she cantered in the arena and as she recovered I did not. I remember holding the rein so that she could escape from me as my five year old was riding in the arena and I did not wish his mount to become alarmed. My elbow slammed into the sand and dried manure surface and shattered into multiple pieces. I spent ten days in the hospital, had three surgical procedures to correct the injury, and spent a year and a half in physical therapy trying to regain a full range of motion. I never regained my full range of motion and only by the grace of God am I able to play the guitar. Do I know why that illness came? You better believe I have a full and complete understanding of its purpose in my life. Did it bring me to repentance? Yes, after a period of rebellion and bitterness in my heart about it. Was God righteous to cripple my elbow? Yes, everything God does is righteous. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
However, before God took this action, His Holy Spirit had already spoken to me. He gave me the healing I need to continue my ministry (which includes the guitar) and I have been able to confess my sins.
In all of this discussion of sin and sickness, James tells us that we are to confess our sins one to another. This stands in a huge contrast to the way that the church James was writing to was behaving. These people weren’t confessing their shortcomings but insisting that they were morally and spiritually superior. My own personal experience is similar to that of the Apostle Paul who claimed to be the chief of sinners. I constantly tell people that the closer I get to God the more I see my own personal sin nature. I do not believe that James was saying that we need to share every deep, dark thought or attitude. However, rather than pretending to be holy and righteous James is saying we need to confess our shortcomings.
The confession of our shortcomings is essential because when we truly confess and seek to overcome we can be prepared to pray for others. Why confess? For the same reason Paul told us that we are to speak truth with each other. We are members of one another. Part of our responsibility towards one another is getting right with God and each other so that our prayers might have power.
James points out that Elijah was just a man. We read his story in the Old Testament and we are well aware that he experienced moments of grave doubt that caused him to run away and spend time in hiding. We see that he had moments when he felt as if he was some sort of Lone Ranger standing against the onslaught of paganism among God’s people. Yet, James indicates that Elijah’s prayers are an example of how we as believers, not superheroes, can touch the heart of God and see mighty things take place.
5:19-20 Superior Faith Offers Restoration Rather Than Condemnation
What should the believer’s response be to those who have claimed to have superior faith but so obviously turned the wrong direction? It should be to restore that wanderer to fellowship with God and the church family.
It would have been easy at this point for the poor, impoverished, and downtrodden folks of the church to respond in bitterness to those who have oppressed them. However, then their faith would not be superior, either.
When we read about church discipline in I and II Corinthians we discover that the goal of church discipline (breaking fellowship with an unrepentant sinner) is to bring about reconciliation. It is never so that we might feel morally superior to someone who is in sin. It is never so that we might somehow cleanse our church of some impurity. It is always with the goal of turning someone back towards righteousness and a proper walk with God.
James indicates that to turn such a wanderer back from this path will save him from death. I do not believe this is talking about a spiritual death or a loss of salvation but rather physical death. If a believer refuses to repent, there comes a time when God will no longer leave him on planet Earth to sully the name of Christ by his sinful behavior.
Superior faith offers a restoration that chooses not to hold a person’s past sins against him. It brings full forgiveness and restoration of fellowship. I find it most interesting that James closes his letter about division and dissension with an appeal for the believers in the church to bring about restoration and forgiveness. Rather than leaving the downtrodden in a position to feel superior James calls for restoration. Superior faith is always prepared to forgive. Superior faith seeks to build relationships rather than tear them down.
