October 25, 2012 – Day 18 – James 5:1-6

5       Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. ² Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. ⁴ Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. ⁵ You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. ^[1]

These first six verses of the fifth chapter of the book of James seem to reasonably go together with the last six verses of chapter four. In it businesspersons boast and brag about their self-reliance upon which now James pronounces judgment. The verses are reminiscent of the judgment pronounced on Israel in the book of Haggai. There the people of God were guilty of ignoring the house of the Lord while they enriched themselves. As a result they were doomed to never have enough money, enough clothing to wear, food to drink, or beverage to drink. In the book of James the wealthy are condemned because of their unjust business practices. While they lived in luxury they defrauded their workers, “condemned and murdered innocent men,” but now their deeds cry out against them and recompense is pronounced upon them.

Now it might appear that these verses only apply to those who have wealth, but wealth is first of all a relative term, and second they reveal a truth applicable to all who would name themselves among the twice born. If one lives in the southern hemisphere every westerner, especially Americans, are wealthy. While we may not enjoy the wealth of some we are no less dependent upon it. In fact, we tend to trust our wealth, however meager it might be, more than we trust God and that makes us just as culpable. Second, these verses remind us that faithlessness like faithfulness has consequences. Just as the cries of the harvesters reached the ears of the Lord so also the cries of those with whom we have unjustly dealt, and there is a price to be paid.

This is not a happy word, and it is not a word that this post-modern church wants to hear. Its desire is to hear only that which blesses it and hard words are to be avoided at all costs. The church needs a hard, sobering word from the Lord so she can be reminded of the only two choices open to her, rebellion or obedience. Today, let us be careful in how we deal with other people and commit to walk in obedience in all we do.

Lord, most of us are not wealthy by some standards, but we are guilty of allowing our opulence to monopolize our trust in You. We are guilty of being insensitive to the needs of others. Forgive us and relent of the judgment that we deserve. Give us a heart for dealing with others in the manner we desire to be treated. Keep us from foolish pride and arrogance, but humbly allow us to approach Your throne of grace and receive forgiveness for our sin, in Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.