JEWELS FROM JAMES #3

"RAGS OR RICHES"

Money is a pretty big deal in our world, isn't it?. Individuals seek after it, families crave it, businesses strive for it and Wall Street keeps the focus right in front of us. Government leaders spend a majority of their time discussing and planning how to take a share of it. Countries go to war over it. Currently, there is talk relating to switching from current forms of paper money to digital finances. The subject of money has long occupied discussion and even division among Christians. Jesus Himself spoke a great deal about it. Consider these interesting facts:

• 16 of the 38 parables Jesus taught were concerned with money or possessions.

• 1 out of ten verses (a total of 288) in the Gospel Writings deal directly with money.

• The Bible has 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on the matter of money or possessions.

Why does the issue of money or possessions take up so much discussion, teaching, and solid admonition in the Scripture? Because the Biblical writers, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and Jesus, Himself being God, understood well the tremendous influence this issue has in our lives and the potential control it has over us. Think about these findings from a survey taken by George Barna:

1) 50% of Christians consider money to be the primary indicator of success.

2) 19% of Christians believe you can tell how successful a person is by observing what they own.

The Apostle James did not miss the emphasis on money and possessions in the teaching of Jesus. In fact, James discusses this important topic in four different passages in his epistle; one of which we are considering in this blog. In James 1:9-11 he writes, "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away". In this passage, James addressed our attitudes related to wealth and poverty. He issued the challenge to view ourselves and our possessions through eyes that see things through the lens of godly values.

At first glance, we may wonder how the teachings in James 1:1-11 all fit together. Well, James began by saying "Consider it all joy when you encounter various trials or testings". He also stated that trials produce endurance and endurance produces maturity. Regarding the trials, it will require God's wisdom to know how to handle them. (If you haven't already, I strongly encourage you to read the last two blogs on James for continuity.) Now in this passage, he has intimated that trials and testings may surely involve money or possessions, wealth and poverty. And again, the wisdom that God so generously gives upon request (which we talked about last week) is absolutely needed to handle our financial trials and testings! Let's remember that James is writing to followers of Jesus. Therefore, James warns us against having a wrong or lop-sided view of life and trials. For example:

1) Many people place all their sense of personal worth or value in life by how much or little they have.

2) A person who is poor may see him/herself as having no or very little personal value.

3) A person having little may feel God has abandoned him because of his financial status and then feels he is of no use to God.

4) A spouse making more money than the other can create jealousy or affect one's sense of worth.

5) Or a wealthy person may be so consumed by his wealth that he does not see others in need.

So, James gives us the Right and Balanced view of life in relationship to our possessions and our financial trials and tests.

First, THE CHRISTIAN AND POVERTY - James 1:9. James addressed "the brother", meaning "the Christian". The phrase, "of humble circumstances" is translated "of low degree" and means "who is in poverty"! This follower of Jesus is to "rejoice" or "glory in" or know he "is exalted" in his poverty. This seems incongruous! Why would a poor person rejoice in that circumstance? BECAUSE:

1) of our POSITION: ("in his high position") - As Paul the Apostle said, ". . .and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus., so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus " (Ephesians 2:6-7). Again, ". . .our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. . . ." (Ephesians 1:3). Paul also said, "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and since children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. . . ." (Romans 8:16-17)

2) of our POWER: ("in his high position") The word "high" can mean "lofty" or "powerful". Of course for the follower of Jesus, this is spiritual power, through the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God! With these Divine resources, we have power over the world, over the flesh (our sinful nature, worldly lusts and desires - even money and possessions) and over the devil!

3) of our PROSPECTS: Jesus taught that we can store up "treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-21) and of course we know we have "eternal life". "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (Jesus Christ). (I John 5:11).

It is important to realize that a Biblical understanding of possessions changes our view of ourselves and others. The amount of money people possess has NOTHING to do with their value; God sees us all exactly the same in worth! A Biblical understanding of possessions gives us a whole new perspective on life. The poor man is not kept from the treasures in heaven by his earthly poverty. The rich man cannot gain the treasures of heaven by his earthly wealth. So we can absolutely rejoice realizing that genuine joy, happiness, fulfillment, contentment and peace of mind due to trust in God, all depend on the true riches of God's grace rather than on earthly possessions.

Second, THE CHRISTIAN AND PLENTY - James 1:10-11. James is still talking of the Christian brother. This time he is speaking of the "rich" or wealthy follower of Jesus. Verse 10 is truly an Exhortation or strong urging or earnest advisement to a Christian of wealthy means. That rich believer is to rejoice or "glory in being brought low" or being in "humiliation". It is easy for the successful person to view his own skills or intelligence as having been responsible for the wealth they have acquired in life. James is calling on that person to humble themselves with the understanding that actually he/she is no different than grass and flowers! They will grow old, lose their skills/beauty and they WILL "pass away". Their riches will not go with them. They must turn their time, attention and focus on laying up treasures in heaven, meaning if and when he finds himself in poverty due to a trial, or adversity. This believer now has a new position; he is like "flowering grass that is passing away"; in the process of dying, "For the sun rises, a scorching wind comes up, the grass withers, and is destroyed. This analogy describes the "rich man in the midst of his pursuits." We learn that possessions and those who possess them are here only for a short time. Also, we are not to place eternal significance on that which is merely temporal. A Biblical understanding of possessions changes our view of possessions and the value we place on them.

The story is told about a man who loved money more than anything. He worked all his life and hoarded all the money he possibly could.. Just before he died, he ssid to his wife, "When I die, put all my money in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me." So, she promised him that she would.

At his funeral, just before the undertakers closed the casket, his wife put a box into the casket. The casket was closed and was rolled away.

The wife's friend said to her, "I hope you did not put all that money in there with that man. You were not foolish enough to do that"! The wife said, "I promised him I would put the money in the casket." "You mean to tell me that you put that money into the casket with him?" her friend asked.

"Yes" she replied, "I wrote him a check!"

Listen, there is coming a day when all our accumulated possessions is going to be just as good as that check. When the wilted petals of this fragile flower called life have wilted and died, our possessions are going to be of no value to us. And even during this life, we cannot trust in material things. A fire can burn it all up in minutes, a flood can wash it all away in a short time. One man got very upset with his pastor for talking about God's ownership of ALL things and the transitory nature of all that we call our own. The man invited his pastor over to his lavish estate. He walked him through the gardens and woods of the elaborate grounds. When the tour was complete, the man said, "Now, are you going to tell me that all of this land does not belong to me?" The pastor smiled and said, "Ask me that same question 100 years from now!"

Questions: Do your possessions possess you? Or does your desire for possessions possess you? The One Thing we had all better learn in this brief life is that the ONLY Things that will last are the things we HAVE IN CHRIST and what we have DONE FOR CHRIST!