Warning to the Rich

Warning to the Rich. We tend to think that the mishandling of riches is only a problem for our day. However, James is addressing this very problem when he addresses the difficulties in the church in his day (James was written around 43 or 44 AD.)

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 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. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

James 5:1-6, ESV

Warning to the Rich - Come Now, You Rich!

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 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.

The astounding thought of the above verses is that James was writing these verses to the church. Sometimes we tend to think that the early church had it all together. After all, James was one of the apostles of Jesus. He spent three years in face-to-face learning from the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

So, it would seem that the church that James was part of would have advantages that we do not have. However, it is good to note that the love of riches is not just a new phenomenon of our day.

Let us remember that having riches is not a sin. It is the love of riches that pulls our hearts from Christ to the things of this world. James is quite descriptive of this danger. "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten." The corrosion of your gold will "eat your flesh like fire."

What do the things of this world really matter? Where should our heart be? Our heart should be focused on the world to come. The years on this earth are very short, but oh how important they are in determining what will happen after this life. Do we really want our love of the things of this world to so dominate us that when we reach the end of this life Christ will tell us to depart for He never knew us?

Warning to the Rich - God Sees!

4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

The rich people of James' day went even farther. Not only did they love their riches, but they defrauded their own workers. God sees everything we do. We may think that we are quite shrewd with our riches, but if we use those riches to defraud our employees, those riches will condemn us.

Verse 6 portrays an interesting contrast. Though the righteous may be condemned and even murdered by the rich, the righteous person does not offer any resistance. Why is that?

The righteous understand that this world is not our home. Those of this world who reap fame, power, and fortune have their own rewards. This is the best it will get, for they do not have the promise of eternal life with Christ. The righteous understand that this time is very short and eternity is very long.

The righteous find their joy and peace in Christ and not in the things of this world.

So, we must ask ourselves, what matters the most to me? Do I love the things this world has to offer and the opinions of this culture or do I love Christ?

Warning to the Rich - Treasure in Christ

Paul addresses the church in Colossians 2:2-3, expressing his desire for them.

He desires that they reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Let us, by the grace of God, strive for the riches available in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge.

Yes - treasure in Christ is the only treasure we should seek in this world!

God Bless you,

Linda