“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment.” James 5:1-3 NLT
James, the brother of Jesus, and the heir-apparent leading the new wave of Christianity called “the way,” writes to the church in general, reaching out to Jewish Christians and what James referred to as the “twelve tribes” in the diaspora (dispersion). This letter was written before the big Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 where James, Peter, Paul and Barnabas are the leading voices in the new structure of the Church going forward.
James pulls no punches and delivers this scathing letter filled with warnings and strong admonishments about what following Jesus should look like. When you want fire, not for warmth, but for passion – you read the book of James.
He has already confronted the idea of wealth and how it should be used for the Kingdom and not self gain. Here, in this little passage titled, “Warning the Rich,” he spells it out! James puts the whole community on blast writing, “look here, you rich people!” I have a big question, “who had money during that season?” And, “where did they get it?” Am I to assume that most of these were Jews who had become Christians? If so, then their wealth had to have come from owning land and rich production of grains, fruits and lots of olives!
It is difficult for me to see how folks can make money when their entire socio-political structure was breaking down during this time. Rome, with its maniacal, psychopathic rulers was falling apart and there was a lot of persecution of Jews and these new Christians during this time. I’ve never been good at “making” money in a downturn or recession. Who was making all that money? They say the best way to maintain job security is to work in a field that is always in demand! In this case, food production must have been a boon because people have to eat?
James gives us hints that this is what he was so furious about when he writes, (vs 4) “For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” It wasn’t just that these wealthy land owners we’re raking it in, they were cheating their work force to live like kings. This is a very Old Testament theme that repeats itself throughout history and even in today’s modern economy – quit ripping off the poor and the working class! Quit underpaying those who make you wealthy.
Notice James doesn’t preacherize these abuses by telling them to give more because they make more. He is speaking for God when he says, pay people fairly first! We can’t cheat people and then brag about our philanthropy! God watches and is taking account of how wealth is accumulated and how it’s distributed. In a complete reversal of one of his brother’s famous sermons on money James writes, “this corroded treasure” will testify against them on judgment day. Jesus said, store your treasure in heaven. James says if you store up your dirty money here, it will be used as a witness against you.
Do we have money that was not received through the blessings of God? Did we make money by mistreating or cheating others? This sounds like a dangerous means of acquiring wealth and it feels like we would be gambling against God himself, like He doesn’t notice or care. No wonder James was so worked up about it. I still wonder if some folks who read this part of the letter were scratching their heads asking, “who’s got money, who is James talking about?”
Prayer
Dad,
I am definitely one of those who asks the question, “who has that kind of money?” I’m certainly not wealthy and neither have I come from a wealthy family. I’ve never run my own business or own a bunch of land. However, I can see that cheating people, especially those who might work for me would be wrong. And then flaunting it or bragging about it would seem pretty egregious on top of it. I’d be mad too. Thank you for James’ courage and passion to point it out,