Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I wonder if Mondays seem to be an uphill climb for you, as they are for many people around the world? If so, perhaps you’ll find encouragement today in the fifth and final chapter of the first letter to be written and sent to Christians, all across the Roman empire, in the early first century. For the past four days we’ve been walking through this little letter which bears the name of its author, James.
You may recall this James was one of four sons of Mary and Joseph, raised in Nazareth, with Jesus as their 1/2 brother! (Matt. 13:53-58) James had become convinced of Jesus’ true identity AFTER His crucifixion and resurrection. When anointed by the Holy Spirit James became a passionate proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus and one of the significant leaders of the Christ follower movement in Jerusalem.
Through all time, in almost all places in the world, there is a recognized wealthy segment of society which is, to some degree, envied by most everyone else, especially the poor. The economic disparity of most cities causes a wide variety of challenging issues. James began his final chapter with a warning to people with wealth, especially those who may have gained it unethically or those who use their wealth as a weapon to shame or harm the less fortunate. (James 5:1-6)
You may know Jesus spoke about financial resources almost as much as any other topic. Jesus wanted His listeners to understand that God, who created us, is fully aware of all that EACH person needs for life, and God, who has all resources, is more than capable of providing to each person all they NEED for life. (Matt. 6:19-34) But one of Jesus’ more radical statements about resources, which it seems everyone has heard is: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matt. 19:24)
Perhaps you have acquaintance, as I do, with some wealthy people who are fine Christian people, living God honoring lives? Jesus was NOT saying it is IMPOSSIBLE for wealthy people to become Christians or be assured of heaven when they depart this life. Jesus was saying wealth can be a difficult burden for anyone seeking to know Jesus and live a God honoring life, while managing significant wealth. Why? May I give you four reasons:
First... wealth requires responsible management. Having wealth is a privilege but also a huge responsibility for it has potential for great society benefit or great harm. Wise wealthy people seek God’s guidance very frequently and disperse their wealth in society benefiting ways. God honoring generosity is a wonderful thing for everyone touched by it. But the natural desire of a wealthy person is pursuit of more wealth, thus the deep soul conflict many wealthy people struggle with.
Second… wealth breeds self-reliance rather than God reliance. The God relationship which Jesus invites His followers to live is a love and trust relationship fully confident in God’s Sovereignty, His Omniscience and Omnipotence. Self-reliance undermines a God reliant relationship. (Matt. 6:19-24)
Third… wealth usually breeds pride. Pride elevates and distorts self-esteem, demeaning others and often even pushing God away. A prideful person often thinks they have no need for God or that they would gain nothing with God that they cannot achieve for themselves. (Prov. 11:2-4)
Fourth… wealth attracts three special segments of society... self-reliant, prideful, arrogant people / dishonest, schemers looking to steal the wealth of others / but also people in great need who see a wealthy person as a possible benefactor to meet their needs. A wealthy person needs discernment and wisdom only God can provide in order to navigate healthy relationships with all people, but especially these three types of people.
James also calls his readers all across the Roman empire to grow their patience. (James 5:7-12) For Christians, our patience is with God primarily, trusting that God is always working in and through the situations and circumstances we face for the purpose of His glory and our growth. James’ letter was addressed primarily to Jewish Christians around the world, (James 1:1) and all Jews revere their history, going all the way back to Abraham, perhaps the patriarch of patience, right?
The Biblical record for Jews was one opportunity to grow their patience after another. Do you remember the stories of Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Gideon, David, Nehemiah, Esther and so many more, all of which called for patience as God was working His purposes with His people? Pause.
How is your patience? Your patience with God and your patience with yourself? Your patience with your spouse, your children or your grandchildren? Your patience with those you know and love, or even those you don’t know, who sit at the traffic signal when the light turns green?
Finally, James ends his letter with a call to embrace the privilege, practice and power of PRAYER, all types of prayer. Pause. When you hear the word PRAY, what happens inside your soul? When you see a person or situation that would greatly benefit from someone praying, what happens inside you? In our journey through Acts, we’ve seen multiple examples of God doing great and miraculous things while people prayed, remember?
In closing today let’s start a list of powerful God responses to prayer and then you add to this list from your own life experiences.
* Acts 1:14; 2:1-4… The arrival of the Holy Spirit as they prayed
* Acts 4:31… The Holy Spirit’s response to the prayers of released Peter & John
* Acts 6:6,7… The apostles commissioned the ‘selected seven’ with prayer
Now, what examples of God responding to your prayers, from your own life journey, can you add to this list?
The “Lessons Learned” notes below will as always help you dig more deeply into James 5, as we draw James’ letter to a close, and a wonderful worship song will bless your soul in worship. Then tomorrow, we’ll rejoin Paul and Barnabas in Syrian Antioch, where great things were happening!
Today’s Scripture: James 5.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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