The dangers of riches
James now turns his sights towards the dangers of being rich. Possessions rot and decay and the insinuation here is that rich people often exploit others; in their greed condemning or murdering people who don’t resist. Money is not evil, having lots of it is not evil. How you get it and what you do with it can be big issues.
Next James challenges us to be patient. We live in an instant age with instant coffee and microwave meals. James tells us to be patient in tough times just like a farmer is patient waiting for the crops to grow.
Don’t grumble – I’m pretty sure that social media has exacerbated the temptation to grumble, not lessened it. It’s a big deal – the Israelites missed out on the Promised Land because of grumbling.
James commands us not to swear oaths – be people of our word, doing what we say we will do.
Lastly he tackles praying for each other and discipleship. What do we do when…
| Suffering? | Pray |
| Cheerful? | Praise God |
| Sick? | Ask for prayer from the elders or others |
| Sinned? | Confess your sin to a trusted friend for accountability |
The prayer of a righteous man has great power – we are declared righteous by Jesus, so our prayers have great power. Elijah is given as an example of an ordinary person just like us! So go for it in prayer.
James finishes off with the blessing of bringing back a prodigal to the fold. What a joy to bring people to the Lord, or back to the Lord.
Andy Moyle
