Allow me to start with two stories to get us thinking about perspectives on having too much or too little money.
1. I read about an exclusive school in Hollywood that was attended by children of movie stars, producers, and directors.
a. One day, the children were asked to write a composition on the subject of poverty.
b. One girl started her literary piece with these words: “Once there was a poor little girl. Her father was poor, her mother was poor, her governess was poor, her chauffeur was poor, her butler was poor. In fact, everybody in the house was very, very poor.”
c. Do you think her perspective on poverty and wealth were a little off?
2. The second story is about a young man who went to a fortune teller to learn about his future.
a. The fortune-teller studied the hand of a young man and told him, “You will be poor and very unhappy until you are 37-years old…”
b. The young man asked, “Well after I’m 37, what will happen? Will I be rich and happy?”
c. “No,” said the fortune-teller, “You’ll still be poor, but you’ll be used to it by then.”
B. As we have been discovering in our study of the book of James, the first topic of the first chapter is about facing our trials.
1. So far we have learned that we should welcome our trials with joy because we know that they produce endurance, and endurance produces maturity and completeness.
2. But for any of that to be realized, James suggests that trials require wisdom, wisdom requires prayer, and prayer requires faith.
3. As we come to the verses we want to examine today – James 1:9-12 – we notice that James is still talking about our trials and how to benefit from them.
4. Specifically, James now addresses the trials that come from having too little money or too much money.
5. When you hear me say that, you might be thinking: “I can understand the trial of having too little money (been there, done that), but I can’t imagine how having too much money would be a trial (just give me the chance to go through that trial!).
a. In the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof”. Tevye said, “If riches are a test or trial, smite me with it, Lord!”
6. In our verses for today, James is going to help us understand that in order for us to persevere in our trials with joy, we must adopt God’s eternal perspective on poverty and wealth.
C. I think one of the hardest things that American Christians face is the challenge of adopting God’s eternal perspective on poverty and riches.
1. First of all, let me ask you this question: Which category do you think you are in? Are you rich or are you poor?
a. On the surface it seems like an easy and straight forward question, but it actually isn’t.
b. What does it mean to be rich or poor? In comparison to what or to whom?
2. And let me ask you another question: How materialistic are you?
a. How focused are you on money and things?
b. Again, the answers to those questions aren’t so easy.
c. It’s easy to say, “I don’t care a bit about money or things!”
d. But then often in our hearts or in our thoughts, we find ourselves reacting emotionally and judgmentally about money and things – especially when others have what we don’t.
3. Now, we all need money in order to stay alive.
a. We have food to buy, a mortgage or rent to pay, we need clothes, things for our kids, gas for the car, and a boatload full of other financial obligations.
4. So there never seems to be money enough, and for that reason we are inclined to think of ourselves as poor, but are we really poor?
5. I Googled: “How rich are Americans compared to the rest of the world?” and it is pretty shocking when you compare how much money Americans have to live on compared to the rest of the world, and even the poorest of Americans are wealthy compared to the rest of the world.
a. To many Americans, $10,000 a year isn’t much money to live on, but 84% of the world population makes less than that each year.
b. A Gallup survey of world income reports that 22% of the world lives on $1.25 per day. And 34% of the world lives on $2 per day.
c. I know that $2.00 a day goes further in other places of the world than it does here, but that is still not much to live on anywhere.
6. So, if we really think about it with a global perspective, I’m rich and so are you.
a. If you have indoor plumbing, you’re rich. If you have a car to drive, you’re rich. If you have a credit card, you’re rich. If you have a job or other income source that pays you enough so you have a roof over your head, you’re rich.
b. Nevertheless, compared to others, you may be poorer, and a lack of money has caused a real hardship.
D. So, I think it is helpful to establish this understanding as we prepare to look at what James is going to say about the trials of poverty and wealth.
1. James is going to help us see a contrast between the permanent and the perishable.
2. Until we live in light of this distinction, we will not handle trials or persecution very well.
3. If we get caught up with the world’s pursuit of wealth as the key to happiness, we will miss God’s way of true blessedness, which centers on eternal riches that cannot be taken from us by any circumstance, including death.
4. As we work through James 1:9-12, we will see that James speaks to the poor Christian (1:9); then, to the rich (1:10-11); and, finally, he offers hope to all who persevere under trials (1:12).
E. James begins by contrasting the rich and poor by giving a paradox that turns things upside down.
1. James says: Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, but let the rich boast in his humiliation… (James 1:9-10a).
2. Basically, what James is saying is that the poor are rich and the rich are poor - that’s certainly not the way our world sees it.
3. As we make our way through James we will see that the topic of the rich and the poor is woven throughout James (1:9-11; 2:1-7, 15-16; 5:1-6).
a. James draws on teachings both from the Old Testament and from Jesus.
b. We will see how James points out that God’s concern for the poor should be reflected in His people’s concern for the poor.
c. We will also see how James associates the poor with the righteous humble and the rich with the wicked oppressor.
F. But it would be wrong, however, to assume that the Bible automatically identifies the poor as being righteous and the rich as being wicked.
1. The Bible tells of many wealthy men who followed God: Abraham, Job, David, and Solomon, just to name a few.
2. The proverbs describe wealth as a blessing that God often confers on the wise man, whereas poverty often results from sin or laziness (Prov. 3:16; 10:4; 14:23-24).
3. But while the Bible shows that wealth may be a sign of God’s blessing, it also warns about its dangers (1 Tim. 6:9-10).
4. The Bible also shows that poverty can be a mixed bag.
a. It may result from ignoring God’s ways (Prov. 13:8, 18) and may lead to sin (Pr. 30:7-9).
b. But the Bible also says that poor people often have integrity and humility, which the rich often lack (Prov. 19:1; 28:6, 11).
G. With that as an overview, James directs the poor man to glory in his high position, which refers to his spiritual wealth in Christ.
1. When a poor man becomes a Christian, he instantly becomes the heir of a vast fortune.
a. He is a child of the King of kings, with access to all of the King’s resources.
b. Paul pictures the believer as seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
c. Paul tells the Corinthians, “all things belong to you, whether … the world or life or death or things present or things to come…” (1 Cor. 3:21, 22).
d. Paul tells us that if we are children of God, then we are “heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ….” (Rom. 8:17).
2. James tells the poor believer to glory in these precious truths.
a. Skeptics, who have no concept of the reality of spiritual truth, would no doubt mock James’ advice at this point. “What good is it to tell a poor man to glory in his spiritual riches in Christ? He’s still living in a shack. He still wears ragged clothes. He still eats meager meals. His children are still barefoot and lack good medical care. What good are these spiritual riches to this man?”
b. But that view stems from a materialistic mindset and ignores the fact that the most important and the basic need of every human heart is spiritual, not material.
c. In chapter 2, James will go on to say that true faith will supply a poor brother with the basic necessities of life (2:15-16).
d. Paul says, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:8).
e. The Bible calls us to believe that our spiritual riches in Christ are a reality.
f. In the end, material riches are an illusion, a vapor that evaporates before our eyes.
3. So, what does it mean, to glory in our high position in Christ?
a. The apostle Paul used this word often, sometimes negatively, but sometimes positively.
b. Negatively, we are not to boast in anything in ourselves.
c. The Corinthians were boasting wrongfully in themselves, and Paul rebuked them, asking, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (I Cor. 4:7).
d. If all that we have is because of God’s unmerited favor, then why would we exalt ourselves, as if our supposed superiority came from ourselves?
4. But, positively, we may boast or glory in the Lord, in order to bring glory to Him.
a. As Paul argues, God has chosen those who are foolish, weak, and despised in the eyes of the world “so that no man may boast before God” (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
b. And Paul goes on to say, “That God has put us in Christ where there is sanctification and redemption… so that, the one who boasts, should boast in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:30-31).
c. If salvation is by grace through faith, then all we can do is glory or boast in the Lord.
H. After focusing on the poor, James turned his attention to the rich: 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11 For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities (1:10-11).
1. An important question that is debated among scholars is who are the rich whom James is addressing? Are they believers or unbelievers? Commentators are pretty evenly divided.
2. If James was referring to a rich unbeliever, then verse 10 is using strong sarcasm, saying, “Let the rich man glory in the fact that he’s going to be pushing daisies in a few short years!”
a. He will be pursuing more wealth when, just like the spring wildflowers, he will fade away.
b. In this view, the withering and fading of the flower is a reference to death and final judgment.
3. That view has much to commend it, but I lean toward the view that James is referring here to rich believers.
4. I believe James is speaking to both kinds of Christians, rich and poor and is helping them see that both poverty and wealth are tests of faith.
5. The poor man is tempted by his poverty to devote himself to the pursuit of wealth.
a. Or, he may be tempted to feel neglected by God because of his poverty.
b. James tells him, rather, to focus on his spiritual riches in Christ.
6. The rich man is tempted to glory in his wealth and the status and power that come from financial success.
a. James tells him to glory, rather, in his humiliation as a believer.
b. His wealth does not put him on a higher spiritual rung than the poor believer.
c. His wealth pertains only to this fleeting life - He and his money will soon fade away.
d. “When the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box.”
e. The rich man’s mansion, property holdings, and stock portfolio will mean nothing when he is in the grave.
f. So the rich man must not follow the world by glorying in his riches, rather, he must glory in his humiliation – the fact that riches have benefits in this world, but not in the next.
I. As I mentioned earlier, we may be tempted to think that this applies to Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and those type of rich guys, but by the world’s standards, most of us qualify as “rich.”
1. Many of us own our own homes. We have computers, TV’s, and dozens of other gadgets to make life more comfortable. Many families own more than one car. Our closets are bulging with so many clothes that it takes time to decide what we want to wear each day.
a. While much of the rest of the world lives in crowded shacks with no indoor plumbing or electricity, and no clothes except those on their backs.
b. So we need to apply verses 10-11 to ourselves!
2. How can we glory in our humiliation?
a. First, we can glory in the fact that God has opened our eyes to see the vanity of worldly wealth and status.
1. I state this as if it is true of us and I hope it is
2. To live to accumulate the world’s junk and to strive after the world’s acclaim is futile!
b. Second, we can glory in the fact that God has shown us the essence of true happiness and honor.
1. True happiness is to know God and true honor is to be a servant of the Lord Jesus.
2. This is what the Lord says: The wise person should not boast in his wisdom; the strong should not boast in his strength; the wealthy should not boast in his wealth. But the one who boasts should boast in this: that he understands and knows me—that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration (Jeremiah 9:23-24).
c. Third, we can glory in the fact that we now have an eternal inheritance that will never be taken away.
1. The apostle Peter wrote: that believers have “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4).
J. Therefore, James tells the poor that they are rich in Christ. and tells the rich that they are poor in their humiliation in Christ.
1. Then James concludes: both rich and poor who persevere under trial should look forward to the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
2. James wrote: Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (1:12).
3. James bookends the theme of trials in 1:2 and 1:12.
a. Joy (1:2) and blessing (1:12) are related.
b. “Blessed” means happy, but it means more than happy.
c. Happiness is a more momentary emotion, whereas blessedness refers to a lasting condition of joy that undergirds momentary sorrow or sadness.
4. James also bookends endurance as it shows up in verses 3 and 4, and then in verse 12.
a. Our trials test us and through endurance we pass the test, so that God’s “Good Housekeeping” stamp of approval is on our lives.
K. In the end, both poverty and riches are tests of our faith.
1. So, who do wealth and poverty test our faith?
2. The first test is greed and believe it or not, greed is not the exclusive temptation of the rich.
a. The poor man can be just as greedy and materialistic as the wealthy man.
b. The poor often covet what the rich already have.
c. But if the focus of both groups is on getting more money or possessions as the way to true happiness, then they do not have God’s perspective.
3. The second test is pride, and yes, both the rich and the poor are prone to pride.
a. The poor Christian can become proud over how poor he is for the sake of the kingdom, and thus boast in being more spiritual than the rich.
b. The rich can be proud over how God has blessed them and given them such influence.
c. Both need to develop the humility that comes from depending on God’s grace alone.
4. The third test is endurance.
a. Both the rich and the poor have to learn to endure the trials of life.
b. Notice that James does not say, “Blessed is the man who never goes through trials.”
c. Nor does he say, “Blessed is the rich man.”
d. Rather he says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial.”
e. Testing has a way of leveling the rich and the poor.
f. It helps all of us to get our focus on the right things, namely, eternal things.
g. Money can buy a lot of things, but it can’t buy health nor can it buy a tragedy-free life.
h. It’s only when we believe in Christ and adopt God’s eternal perspective that we can persevere under trials with the joy of our salvation.
5. And in the end, the rich and the poor who remain faithful receive the same crown of life.
a. Certainly, the person who perseveres under trials is blessed in this life, but James’ emphasis is on the rewards of heaven.
b. The English name, Steven comes from the Greek word for crown, which referred to the victor’s wreath in athletic contests.
c. The picture here is of the believer struggling and striving in the contest, but the reward of the crown awaits him at the end if he perseveres.
d. The “crown of life” refers to the eternal life that we will enjoy forever with God.
e. It is not that we earn eternal life as a reward for our perseverance, rather, eternal life is God’s gift of grace, but we don’t enter into the full enjoyment of it until after we have persevered in the race that God has given us to run.
f. Paul wrote: “If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:12a).
L. The famous evangelist, George Whitefield, once told of seeing some criminals riding in a cart on their way to the gallows.
1. As they rode by, Whitefield could hear them arguing about who should sit on the right hand of the cart (like children arguing about who sits where in the car – “I called the front seat!”).
2. Here were men about to die that very day, arguing over who got the best seat!
3. James encourages us to see our life is a vapor (4:14) - we’re all going to die soon.
4. To focus on accumulating wealth, if we lack it, or to expend ourselves in amassing more wealth than we already have, would be extremely shortsighted.
5. Rather, we should focus on the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
6. That kind of eternal focus will enable us to persevere in our trials with joy.
7. Let’s end with Paul’s inspiring words from his letter to the Colossians: “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ” (Col. 3:1-4).
Resources:
• What Money Can’t Do, Sermon by Ray Prichard, Keepbelieving.com
• Perspective for Perseverance, Steven Cole, https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-2-how-obtain-wisdom-god-james-15-8
• The NIV Application Commentary: James, by David Nystrom, Zondervan, 1997.
