James chapter 5

vs 1

This hearkens all the way back to chapter 1, with James reminding us that God exalts the humble and poor, and the rich and boastful get what they deserve.

vs 2

This is sounding like what Jesus said would happen to earthly riches, right? The word wealth isn't mammon here - it's ploutos, but it means basically the same thing. Ploutos is from the root that means "to be filled". Mammon is Aramaic in origin anyway.

vs 3

The word corroded literally means "rusted", but interestingly the word "corrosion" in the NIV doesn't necessarily mean "rust" (not naturally, anyway). Ios refers more naturally to "poison". Having said that, the word is only used in the NT 3 times, and the word for corroded is katioo, which derives partly from ios.

The point being that not only is your money corroded away, but the fact that you had all this stuff sitting around in the first place is a testimony against you. So it wasn't only useless (because it's only temporary and rots away), but it was also damning (because it shows that you were hoarding earthly wealth instead of heavenly wealth)!

But we are going to see that simple wealth is not what James is crying out against here. I think there's a hint of it even in this verse. If all you did with your money was let it sit around and get rusty, then you weren't using it for God! If God gives you many millions of dollars, there's no curse about it, provided you make sure it keeps moving. As soon as you let it stagnate into riches, then you're toast.

vs 4

See, it is not the having of wealth, but the unrighteous use of it that cries out against you. The hoarder of wealth is marked as one that is not living a godly life. And rightly so. So what's the difference between hoarding money and saving money? Well, saving is for a purpose - you are being diligent in the use of your funds to make them go further. But hoarding is just pulling together as much money as you can because it is money, and there is absolutely no value in that. As soon as you've got more money than you know what to do with, be very very careful.

Some people will say that they have some stored money as a security blanket. But let me tell you that God is a bigger security blanket. You either trust one to look after you, or the other. Now you might think that you don't have anyone working on your behalf - or that you pay your guy to mow your lawn or clean your house, so you're fine. Well, let me tell you that there are so many, so so many missionaries out there who are doing your job out on the mission field. Are you paying them? I hope you are, because if you're not, then their voices are crying out to you. There are Christians who are really being persecuted and suffering for you. Are you sharing with them? Thankfully, God hears them, which is good for them - not so good for us though.

vs 5

We just save ourselves up for it. I hate to think where Kerry Packer is now. But according to his own words about there being no God, and according to the fatness of his riches before the slaughter, I've got to assume he's got an apple in his mouth and a date up his date and he's part of the main course of satan's banquet.

Now I know a lot of people point at the Packers or the Gates or the Sultan of Bruneis or Richard Bransons of this world and say how much they give to charity. And in real, raw terms, they give a crapload of money. More than we could ever hope to get, let alone give. But are they giving it because they want to please God? Because they don't trust in riches? I think the only one who probably does is the Sultan of Brunei, and he's a Muslim.

I'm not saying you're not allowed to be rich and Christian, or that if you are rich you have to give your money away to be Christian. William Wilberforce was rich, and he didn't give it away and become poor. He did live simply, and I'm sure he gave a buttload away, but even in his simple living he was living better than the poor and the slaves. But he used his wealth and the position it gave him in parliament to fight for the emancipation of slaves, and that for Christ. That's the difference. He may not have spent his wealth, but he spent himself.

vs 6

I think the condemnation is as much a passive thing as an active thing. This letter is to a Christan group, remember! I don't think these rich early Christians were putting out contracts to have people killed. But their lack of action was condemning people to death, probably by starvation and deprivation. That's a hell of a lot worse than crucifixion or beheading in my book, especially when you're doing it to whole families. And these are not even opposing them! These are looking to them for your support, and they are handed a snake or a scorpion.

vs 7

Farmers are patient. I read a study in America once about how scientists throughout the last 70 years or so have maintained within their field a pretty standard rate of Christian to non-Christian - about 10% (way lower than the national average). I wouldn't be surprised if farmers had a much higher than national average. Because they have to be patient, and they know that there's only so much they can do - can't make it rain, can't make seeds grow.

vs 8

We should be with our lives farming for God. I mean, there's nothing more pure or righteous about trusting in your crop or in the weather any more than trusting in riches. We need to trust in God. The crop we are watching should be God's crop. He, like a storm, is coming near. There are grumblings. You can feel it in the air. But if we haven't prepared a crop, then it doesn't matter how much it rains - it will be too late to harvest.

vs 9

James wants us to feel just how close Jesus is to coming back! It was a lot easier to feel that when he'd only just been here - the humidity from when he'd passed over was still in the air. But when he's close, we might not have any signs. We know when a storm's coming, sure. But last time Jesus came, who knew? A few stargazers from Iran. Some shepherds. But we'll know at the right time. Probably in some explody way.

vs 10

James is starting a new thing now, and from reading this verse we know it's going to be about the lives of the prophets. Which is pretty jewish. I mean, their lives aren't all that well documented in the Scripture - they are better known in extra-biblical material, which at the time was probably mostly oral. But it doesn't go on too long, and we'll get to it next week.