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).
There are indications in the New Testament that humble circumstances were a typical trial among Christians. This can be attributed to the preaching of Christ, which had explicit appeal to the poor and attracted numerous poor people among the earliest converts (Luke 4:18). In addition, some people became poor because of deliberate persecution against them. Some may have lived in self-imposed poverty for ethical reasons, for they refused to participate in corrupt economic enterprises.
Good Christians may be rich in the world. Grace and wealth are not entirely inconsistent. Abraham, the father of the faithful, was rich in silver and gold. The rich may rejoice in humbling providences, as they produce a lowly and humble disposition of mind, which is highly valuable in the sight of God.
Worldly wealth is a withering thing. Wealth is too uncertain and too trivial to make any great or just alteration in our minds. As a flower fades before the heat of the scorching sun, so shall the rich man fade away in his ways. His projects, counsels, and managements for this world, are called his ways; he shall fade away in these. For that reason, let him that is rich rejoice, not so much in the providence of God that makes him rich, as in the grace of God, which makes and keeps him humble; and in those trials and exercises that teach him to seek his fortune in and from God and not from those perishing enjoyments. While these brief verses might mean that a rich man could properly take pride in having been humbled by God and brought to associate as an equal with poor Christians, it is more likely that James is saying that if the rich person is looking at the same future as the “humble” brother, the only thing he has to take pride in is his “low position,” or his passing away.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there is something I want you to think about; if wealth, power, and status mean nothing to God, why do we attribute so much importance to them and honor those who possess them? Do your material possessions give you a sense of purpose and a reason for living? If they were gone, what would be left? What you have in your heart, not your bank account, matters to God and lasts for eternity. My friend, rejoice today that you have a Savior who will not only save you for heaven – that’s good enough for me – but He is going to help you this very day.
The rich should be glad that wealth means nothing to God because wealth is easily lost. The poor should be happy that riches mean nothing to God; otherwise, they would be considered unworthy. Real wealth is found in an individual’s spiritual life, not his financial assets. God is interested in what is lasting (our souls), not in what is temporary (our money and possessions). See Mark 4:19 for Jesus’ words on this subject.
