Posted by
TAB on Saturday, July 19, 2008 8:27:14 AM
The Poor and the Rich Brethren
"Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away." James 1:9-10 (NKJV).
With the past few verses James has been discussing trials of life, and especially the trials of the followers of Jesus Christ; and in particular the earlier followers of Christ who were Jewish. Though the letter is written to Jewish Christians for the time; it is for Christians of all times and all races.
James speaks to different classes of Christians in these two verses. The first is the economically poor. The poor can rejoice in the Lord, and praise Him, because they know that God is the provider of all their needs. They do not trust in uncertain riches. They do not trust in their own strength or power. Their complete trust and faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Trials affect all Christians.
Having warned the Christians of the "double-minded man" previously; the poor man can also rejoice in the Lord, because it is the Lord who has delivered them from this curse. If a poor man is not cautious in their faith he or she can still be double-minded and torn between having and not having; unless their faith is solid in Christ. This curse is not just that of the rich man.
Probably one of the hardest tests of a Christian’s faith would come when they have much more than they need. That has not been one of my tests however. It would be of a wealthy Christian’s humility to realize this blessing or curse of wealth is from God, and that He has given it to us to be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are less fortunate. The wealthy Christian will truly realize that God has not given them wealth to horde, and to "build bigger barns", but to be generous, and give as the Spirit of the Lord will direct.
The wealthy Christian humbles themselves before God by being thankful for their blessing, giving generously as He leads, and builds other brothers and sisters in Christ up for His glory.
The trials of Christians makes us all equally dependent upon the Lord, no matter what our economic plight or station may be in this life. The poor man is exalted by continuing to trust the Lord each day for daily needs. The rich man is humbled by their continual realization and need for the Lord, in knowing that their lives are just as short as the others of the faith. We are all in the hands of the Lord. We are all equally dependent upon Him.
Generosity is a great practice whether you have wealth or not.
-Tim A. Blankenship