James 5:1–12 – Doing the Word: Directions for life to a scattered church from The Letter of James
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 30, 2020 (am)
 

James has been contrasting the rich and the poor throughout this letter. Back in 1:9-12 he spotlighted the fact that the poverty of the lowly brother could not keep him from [receiving] the crown of life in Christ, and that the wealth of the rich [brother] could not save him from the torments of hell.

In 2:1-7 James urged his people away from the offensive evil of [favoritism]. They were offering preferential treatment to the very people who were [oppressing them] and [dragging them] into court (6), thinking it gained them some advantage!

Now we’re meeting these rich people and James has a few words for them directly. He actually addresses these unconverted rich folk who are [oppressing] his poor and persecution-scattered congregation (1:1). And he’s opening their eyes not only to the fate that awaits them but to the fact that they have brought it on themselves by their own actions. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter (5), he says, as though they were animals getting themselves ready to be taken to the slaughter house!

This can be a hard passage to understand, but only because it’s so practical in its meaning and application that it catches us a bit by surprise. Kids on your Sermon Notes page, at the lower right, you see a scroll where you should write the most important thing you learned from our passage today.

• The long way to say it is: No matter what it looks like now, the Lord will win in the end. So, be patient, press on, and don’t waver in faith or obedience as you wait for His return.

• The short way to say it is: Be patient! Press on! Jesus wins! You can write that on your scroll.

Now let’s see how James gets there; he does it in two parts.

Warning to the Oppressors – 1-6

I just mentioned that this first section is talking to the rich people who don’t know Jesus and are making life miserable for those who do—the Christians, poor, working for them.

Once we see that, this first paragraph makes sense. James is letting the Christians listen in as he warns the wealthy and oppressive unbelievers about the ultimate fate that awaits them at the end of this age. They think they’ve got it made in this life, all the finest this world has to offer: financial wealth, fine clothes, real estate—everything they could ever want. But that’s just causing them to treat people with lesser means as though they themselves were less valuable!

4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, … you kept back by fraud. You can imagine them inspecting their freshly mowed lawn and finding a short stretch on the edge where the mower didn’t reach. But they’re on their way out to dinner so they tell their worker: Go ahead and trim those blades of grass. I’ll take a look at it tomorrow morning and if it’s good, I’ll pay you then. Meanwhile, the worker and his family can’t have dinner because they were depending on that day’s wage.

1 Come now, you rich, James writes, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. This is the language the OT prophets used to describe the [laments] of the wicked when the day of the Lord comes (cf. e.g. Isa.13:6; 15:3; Amo8:3) (Moo 164), when [judgment] arrives 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.

I’m reminded of that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the ark was finally opened and an angel emerged. At first it was beautiful! Then it transformed into terrifying [judgment]! Hearts were pierced (cf. Jer.25:33) and people [melted like] wax! (cf. Psa.68:2)

That’s the scene here. All the riches these people thought were so beautiful will be evidence against [them] at the judgment seat of Christ (cf. Rom.14:10). Withheld wages are already crying out to God (4), and those lacking them, the righteous, had done nothing wrong! (6)

Encouragement to the Oppressed – 7-12

These are hard circumstances James is describing! His people, these scattered brothers [and sisters] (7, 9, 12), are in a tough spot! It’s very easy to get discouraged and angry when it feels like you’re being [oppressed] (2:6), taken advantage of, devalued! So, what are they supposed to do? What are we supposed to do in our day when it feels like the righteous are being disrespected, marginalized? How should [oppressed] believers react?

Great question. Important question. What does a faithful Christian look like when they’re facing public disapproval or displeasure? James tells us. 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. This sounds like Peter: set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1Pe.1:13b). [Entrust yourself] to Him (1Pe.2:23). Fix your hearts (8), your hope, your desire (4:2), fully on the coming of the Lord (8). [Wait patiently] for Him. Don’t lose hope in the return of the Lord while you’re [waiting] for it, while you’re enduring the evil in this world that will continue until then. Establish your hearts, James says, [strengthen them] (NASB). Press on! Preach endurance to your own [heart]! Charge your soul to stand firm! (cf. Guthrie 266) Don’t grow [impatient] with Jesus!

That’s vv.7-8; vv.9-10 say: don’t grow [impatient] with one another while you endure what feels like [oppression] in this world as you’re [waiting] for the coming of the Lord. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; we saw this back in 4:1-2. [Judging] is God’s job (4:12). And, behold, the Judge is standing at the door. James is saying, live as though His return is imminent—kids, there’s a good word to write in your ear bubble: words you heard but don’t know—near. Live like you’re about to be judged; don’t grow [impatient] and cave in to [judging] one another. The prophets showed us how to do this (10). Job showed us! (11) Live like that—steadfast, integrity under fire—your “yes” [is] yes and your “no” [is] no (12). Say just what you mean. Mean what you say. And say yes and no to the right things! Say yes to Jesus, the gospel, obedience, endurance, humility (4:10), steadfastness (11; cf. 1:3, 4, 12) Say no to doubt, double-mindedness (1:6-8), fleshly desire (1:14; 4:2), anger, any filthiness or wickedness (1:19-21), [favoritism] (2:1), friendship with the world (4:4), or boasting (4:16).

Conclusion

That’s how James got to the most important thing [we learn] today, the thing you kids wrote on your scroll: Be patient! Press on! And never forget Jesus wins! So, live like that’s true!

That’s how today’s message applies to your life—in the picture frame with the protective corners, kids!

Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:22). It’s a part of the character of Jesus which we receive when the Holy Spirit awakens our faith. By the grace of God we grow in patience during times of suffering (10), during seasons of trials (1:2), just like this one! The life of the Spirit is strengthened in us!

And one way patience shows itself is when it enables us to press on, to endure in our faith, to remain steadfast (11) and not give in to doubt (1:6-8)  or [grumbling] (5:9) as we [wait] for Jesus to return (7-8), to keep His promise (1:12). It shows itself as we wait without growing selfish (3:14-16) or [argumentative] (4:1-2) or sassy (3:6-12) or angry (1:19-20). It shows itself as we live in the humility (cf. 4:13-16) and wisdom (3:17) which join together to produce patience.

And in closing, it occurs to me that the most important thing we are learning about God from this passage—the clipboard, kids!—is actually invisible. We don’t actually see it here!

If you’re really sharp you’ll recognize that something needs to separate the steadfast brothers [and sisters] (7-12) from the self-absorbed [oppressors] (1-6). It can’t be the money; if riches and privilege can’t buy you into heaven, then neither can poverty or [oppression]—favor with God can’t be earned by [affluence] or by [affliction]. No, James wrote (all the way back in c.1), 1:16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. That’s what we are learning about God from this passage, once again. The only thing that can set us apart from the those whose lives prove their coming [judgment] is the grace of God freely given to us in Christ.

Live today like you know Jesus wins and you’re on His team—the ability to do this is part of His good and perfect gift (1:17) that is yours by faith in Christ!

Next Sunday: What It Means to Have Power, James 5:13-20