How Not to Deal with Financial Resources - August 25

James 5:1-6
"1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."


This is a tough passage to take in - especially for those of us who live here in America where even the average person is rich compared to most of the world who live on less than $2 per day. Why is James so hard on those with resources? Why such harsh language?

When reading through this passage some things really stand out which point out not so much about wealth but what the rich were doing and not doing with wealth.

In verse 3, James talks about the wealth that was being hoarded. In context with the rest of the book, it becomes clear that people were not using their resources to take care of the widows and orphans, they were not helping those who needed food and clothes. They were keeping their wealth to themselves and not helping others in need. Their wealth was exposing their selfishness. They were living in luxury and self indulgence - it was about them.

In verse 4, he takes on those who were cheating their workers out of their pay. These wealthy people were exploiting those who were working for them and getting rich off those who made money for them. This was not pleasing to God. The manager/boss/owner of the company has the role of taking care of his/her employees, showing them God's love through tangible - real actions.

The last thing he took them to task for was in the way that they were misusing power - condemning those who are innocent and using their influence execute the people who opposed them. It wasn't the wealth itself that James was upset at it was what the people who doing with the authority and influence that affluence brings brought them. They were not living out their faith and their wealth revealed that.