James 5:1-3—A word to the rich

Come now, you rich, weep and buy amoxil online howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the waar kan ik veilig cialis bestellen last days that you have stored up your treasure! James 5:1-3

James begins the fifth chapter of his letter with a scathing directive to the rich. Matthew Henry’s commentary suggests that he primarily wrote this section to address the rich among the Jews who had not yet received Jesus. This opinion is based upon verse 6: “You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” Mr. Henry explained that under the governance at the time, Christians—including the rich ones—had no jurisdiction to put anyone to death. Nonetheless, James’ comments are a valid reminder for all of us to view our resources through the eyes of the Lord.

The book of Psalms has many references to the wealthy wicked. Psalm 73 sorrowfully laments the arrogant debauchery of evil men who obtain power and wealth: “Behold, these are the wicked; and always at ease, they have increased in wealth” (vs. 12).  However, Psalm 37:7b declares, “Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes” and verse 9 assures, “For evildoers will be cut off but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.” Throughout the Scriptures, we are warned of the inevitable temptations for those who are “large and in charge”—arrogance, haughtiness, utter disregard for the lives of those who are less fortunate, and flagrant nose-thumbing at God.

The question remains: How much of this portion of James’ admonition actually applies to Christians? Is this a section of the New Testament about which we can breathe a sigh of relief? Whew! This doesn’t apply to me!

Paul the apostle wrote concerning the amassing of wealth and buy cialis uk how to approach it. He stated in Philippians 4:11b-13, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

You approach wealth the same way you approach poverty—you live in contentment through Christ who strengthens you.

Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and non prescription sildenafil harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:8-10).

Both of Paul’s writings contain a certain word—“content”. Contentment with what God has supplied for you goes a long way to help keep your motives in check. A sense of discontent can surely drive an individual to find better and more satisfying employment—“A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on” (Proverbs 16:26)—a good thing; but if allowed, discontentment can quickly morph into lust for more, more, more. “The leech has two daughters, ‘Give,’ ‘Give’ (Proverbs 30:15a).

…his freedom required that he let go of his treasure; he chose treasure over freedom.

Paul warned the Church that the desire to get rich can lead to temptation and a snare, complete with many foolish and harmful desires. It’s not your job to judge anyone else concerning this; it is your job to keep a grasp on what’s going on inside your own heart about money. Guard your heart concerning your resources; let the Lord direct you in giving, buying, selling, and saving; and don’t be like the monkey who was easily captured: he couldn’t pull his paw out of a jar without first releasing the peanut he had in his fist—his freedom required that he let go of his treasure; he chose treasure over freedom. Paul wrote that such choices plunge men into ruin and destruction; he also wrote that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Strong words flowed from the pen of Paul—not to the unbelieving, but to the household of faith. Therefore, when James writes such a forceful sentiment to the rich, it pays to take notice. Perhaps the third verse not only sums up his thought here, but also gives a standard by which to discern your own motives: “It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” The question then, to ask yourself is: What is my treasure, and where am I storing it?

Dorothy

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:20-21