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READ James 5:1-12
James has a lot to say about wealthy people. So did Jesus. Jesus met a rich man and this is what happened.
READ Matthew 19:16- 26
Sombre words from the Lord of life. The problem with wealth is the love of it. Listen to God’s word in 1Timothy 6:6-10
6 But godliness with
contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can
take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content
with that. 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and
into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and
destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves
with many griefs.
The problem with wealth is that it tempts you to trust in
your wealth and your ability to build your own security. That is a trap. The
First because it devalues.
Inflation has dropped from 2.7% to 2.2%, but the best savings I could find is around 3% , most around 1.6% so unless you have a long term investment, your savings are diminishing!
The car you bought is rotting in the car park! Some say it lost half its value the day you bought it! And that is true of your mobile phone, your washing machine and everything else you possess. Your possessions are decaying!
I wouldn’t go on about your body, but the older you get the more aware you are of how from the day you were born it has been quietly aging and eventually will die.
Jesus said Matthew 6:
19 “Do not store up
for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where
thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and
steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
There is only one Bank where your wealth cannot decay, so
invest in the
Secondly, in this life, you make wealth by depriving others of a fair days wage for a fair days work.
Your cheap clothing comes at the expense of a vast army of
slave or bonded workers in
Your cheap food comes from sources where checks are not made
. Not so long ago we discovered we were eating horse meat, sold as beef because
horsemeat was cheaper. We eat pineapples from the
Since we discussed this last, the Leadership Team has made it a formal policy of the church to buy Fair-Traded goods, where practical for the church. We do not impose our policy on your own shopping. I simply ask you to follow God’s word. If your wealth is gained by not fair-trading where possible, are you not sinning against the Lord?
James does not support our middle class life-style. But he goes further in verse 6
You have condemned and
murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
This is the second reference to killing in this letter. See
4:2. What is he on about? Step back slightly, he is writing to the Diaspora,
Jewish Christians across the
We are not to be silent. We are to speak out for justice. Silence is condemning innocent men and women to death, discrimination, injustice, and we cannot pretend that we can turn a blind eye. So have you acted over the Philippines, did you write to your MP over marriage, over Syria, or anything else? Have you chosen to boycott companies that do have an ethical base to their operations or written to demand that they sign up to Fair Trade conditions.
God said, in Genesis 4:7
If you do what is
right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching
at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.
Edmund Burke, an 18th
Century Irish political philosopher, re-phrased it as:
"All that is necessary
for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
This is particularly true in
a democratic, open society as there are many voices calling for liberty without
responsibility.
However, James goes on to
say:
7Be patient,
then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land
to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring
rains. 8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge
is standing at the door!
10Brothers, as
an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in
the name of the Lord. 11As you know, we consider blessed those who have
persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord
finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
There is a common myth that a
few prayers and the world will be a Ok and heaven will break out on earth. That
is naive and dangerous. While we are called, not to be silent, we must
understand that our patience will be tested if not exhausted as we wait for righteousness
to prevail.
James rightly begins by reminding us that, in
the words of John Stott “Remember, we
win!” We look forward to a day that will come when Jesus will reign in
righteousness. He will return and take us to be with himself to know the bliss
of eternity with him. All wrongs will be righted! But not yet! Today, we have
to cry against the injustice and the sadness in the world. Today, the rich get
richer and the poor get poorer, maybe as much as 80% of all crime goes
unpunished, children are abused , women are raped, families are torn apart,
churches fall apart because of selfishness and so on. So we are called to be
patient. Revival has not happened but we pray on. Our society is reaping the
whirlwind and we pray on.
Learn from the farmer. You
plant a crop and then you have to wait.
Last June I planted out my runner beans and leeks and tomatoes and
cucumbers, I had to wait until mid-august for a return. I am still waiting for
the leeks 5 months on!
Notice James repeats himself.
8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the
Lord's coming is near.
Faith is only faith while we
wait. So stand firm on God’s promise that Jesus will return. Just because 2000
years have passed is no excuse for writing off God’s word. Jesus will come
again!
The next sentence is so
perceptive.
9Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you
will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
If we are struggling with faith in God, we can easily turn our frustration on our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Have you noticed the progression?
Be patient,
until the Lord's coming
Be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming
is near.
The Judge is standing at the door!
What could be worse than
Jesus arriving while we are squabbling? And yet he is present by the Holy
Spirit and grieved by our infighting.
Listen to God’s word, it is a narrative of
people who lived by faith, waiting for God’s promise. Here the prophets like
Isaiah who lived through the collapse of Judah, Jeremiah who saw first hand the
destruction of the nation, Esther, Ezekiel and Daniel who were dragged away
from their homeland of promise and yet remained faithful to the promise.
Hebrews 11 describes them
as
39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none
of them received what had been promised, 40 since God had planned something
better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Job who lost everything but
hung on to plead his case before God. You have heard of Job's perseverance and
have seen what the Lord finally brought about.
Job is here to point out that
God does answer. So James can say
The Lord is
full of compassion and mercy.
God loves you and although
for all sorts of reasons, life is tough, he is full of compassion and mercy. He
will speak, he will act, he will answer.
He will be victorious, perhaps not in the way we expect but He wins! Hold on to
Jesus, take lightly the riches that swill around, the pain of the struggles of
this life, make much of Jesus, he’s coming!