Where Your Treasure Lies

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James 5:1–6 ESV

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. 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.

Prayer

Sermon

Introduction

As James has been speaking directly to us, for the vast majority of his letter, his attention now moves a different direction. Having contended with us for 4 chapters regarding the gift of faith and our obligation to live that faith outwards, his crosshairs are, for a moment, pointed in a different direction. James leaves direct conversation with us and now speaks to this group of people referred to as “the rich.” Perhaps we have different understandings of what richness means, in this context, and who it applies to, but I hope to persuade you this morning of who I think James is actually referring to.

What we can say with confidence is that James has shifted his attention away from the general assembly of believers, and is now speaking outwards from the church.

Imagine the letter of James being read publicly, in a 1st century dwelling. A church of Jewish Christians is crowded and huddled together, somewhere in Israel or beyond, and an elder is reading through a copy of a letter from the famous James the Just who lives in Jerusalem. The pastor has read most of it, and is nearing the end. As the elder has read, the listeners have been called “dear brothers” over and over. They remember the letter opened with the words, “to the Jews dispersed across the land who are in Christ.” While James has sharply rebuked the listeners, he has always offered words of encouragement and given hope on how to come back to Jesus in faith and obedience.

But not this section.

As the elder of the church speaks the words of the letter in his hand, the listeners catch an icy and dreadfully different tone to his words. The rich people James is talking to sound like they are totally hopeless, having sealed their fate by investing their life in themselves. James is saying that these people ought to weep and howl for the misery that awaits them, and that their flesh will be consumed by fire. They have fattened themselves like a pig that feasts on the food the farmer gives so that they will be a succulent meal. Finally, before turning his gaze back to the church, James writes that these people have “condemned and murdered the righteous person, who does not resist them.”

Try to imagine what that might’ve been like, and you’ll find it’s likely very similar to our modern day.

We would wonder, who in my life is this talking to? If you consider yourself wealthy, you might wonder, “is this me?” If you consider yourself very much not wealthy, you might be tempted to look outwards and think “is it them?”

We need to be very careful not to be tempted to ask questions like this, because we will likely ask these questions through our modern-day, American worldview. We will be tempted to draw a line in a bank account somewhere, and say, “beyond this line is damnation.” Or draw a line somewhere in an investment portfolio, number of cars, type of cars, whatever it is—we can be tempted to default to our legalistic habits and define richness in only material ways. If we do this, these words of God will fly over our heads.

It is very important that we understand exactly who verse 1 is addressed to.

James 5:1 “1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.” .

Who are the people that should be weeping and howling because of the misery that awaits them?

To do this, we need to first talk about wealth.

Part 1: Wealth

What is a biblical understanding of wealth?

When you think of rich people, where does your mind go, first? That is a great way to measure the measuring stick, so to speak, of what we view as wealth. If we think of multi-millionaires, certainly billionaires, then it’s clear our definition of wealth is tied strictly to money. At that level of wealth, few things are off the table, and few opportunities are restricted. While I think this is definitely part of what wealth is, it is not all of what wealth is. There are different kinds of wealth, we could say earthly and spiritual wealth. They are different but loosely connected. Here’s what I mean.

Imagine you’re in a hospice ward, where in each bed lies a person on the edge of eternity. You look down a hallway where you see two things.

First, the premium, most-expensive-yet-luxurious end-of-life arrangement that money could buy. There’s a few people in there, perhaps 2 or 3.

Second, down the hall a bit and past the janitor’s closet, there’s a standard room that insurance can cover, and this room is packed. Men, women, children, and a few babies are jammed in close quarters.

Room #1 is occupied by a wealthy person, as the earth measures wealth, and is kept company by an ex-spouse, one of their kids, and a nurse who works there. This dying person isn’t alone, but not everyone’s there.

Room #2 is occupied by a great-grandmother, a widow, because her husband died a few years before. He was a pastor of a small church. She is surrounded by countless children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who are running amok—annoying some but bringing joy, most of all, to great-grandma. Being in ministry in a small church, this family was always flirting with poverty. At the end of her life, with a few thousand dollars left in an account somewhere, her tired mind is totally and perfectly satisfied in her Savior, and the life that he gave her. As the breath leaves her lungs for the last time, and her eyes close, she is sent home to Jesus feeling like the richest woman who ever lived.

Who was the wealthier person?

If our definition of wealth is strictly financial, then there is no contest: Room #1 was for the wealthier person. But if our definition of wealth is robust enough, and, I would say, biblical enough, we very clearly see that Room #2 housed the far wealthier person. The issue, here, is about what we understand wealth to be. Here is how God has described it:

There is earthly wealth and heavenly wealth.

Gathered under the category of earthly wealth would be things such as money, possessions, houses, talents, spiritual gifts, opportunities, access to knowledge, beauty, physical health, and technology. We have to understand that even with earthly wealth there is more than simply the dollar.

Jas 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…”

Your personal wealth is much bigger than the bank account. And even on that front, if we were to compare the comfort, health, and income of modern-day America to the rest of human history—every single person would be counted as wealthier than Pharoah. How do I know that? What would Pharoah not give from his vaults for a working iPhone? And by the same token, what would Greek physicians not give to pick the brain of even a nursing student? You see the point—we are almost ludicrously wealthy already.

Earthly wealth is a perishable good, and heavenly wealth is indestructible.

Matthew 6:19–21 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Everything I listed as a kind of earthly wealth is temporary and perishable. Not only this, it is fleeting and deceptive. My sermon is titled, “Where Your Treasure Lies” as a play on words. If our heart is for the carnal pleasures of the world, it will be because we treasure it, and have believed the devil’s lie. Earthly treasures, of all kinds, can try to deceive us into thinking our security, worth, and happiness are found in it, and not the God who gave it. This is the lie that we believe when we care only for earthly wealth.

And earthly wealth is not simply perishable, it is utterly doomed. Every single item of any value in the world will be burned up when Jesus recreates the heavens and the earth. Now, if this is true, that earthly wealth is a perishable good, and we understand that investing in heaven is no-risk, guaranteed best investment imaginable—isn’t devoting every gift God’s given you back to him, the only thing that makes sense?

What we do and how we feel about earthly wealth demonstrates something about our heavenly wealth.

There is no better description of this reality than the one found in the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:1–4 ESV

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Here it is, the relationship between earthly and heavenly wealth. Those use their wealth to please themselves have, as Jesus said, “received” the entirety of “their reward.” That’s it. The fake appearance of righteousness is all that was gained. However, those who give with an eye on the Kingdom and with thankfulness to God are expanding their heavenly wealth. This is part of the upside down nature of the Gospel. The way to be first is to be last, the way to lead is to serve, in order to find your life you must lose it, and, finally, wealth that pleases God is generous and flows outwards—it is not hoarded.

Luke 12:15–21 ESV

15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

Part 2: The Rich

Having discussed a kind of “theology of wealth,” I now want to return to the question of who James is talking to. Facing this question, we really have only two options. Either he is writing to everyone who is relatively wealthy in their society, or he is writing to a specific group of those people. I think it is clear that, given how hopeless and dark the future is for these people James is talking about, he is referring to people who had great earthly wealth but were spiritually bankrupt. These people had no heavenly wealth, only crushing, overwhelming debt.

Remember, this letter was written during a specific time period and in a specific cultural environment. To be really rich in a society like that almost guaranteed it was off the backs of the poor. There were no government-sponsored safety nets or funding programs; in fact, the closest thing to a safety net was actually the Law of God, which required farmers to leave the border of their crops unharvested, so those who had no food wouldn’t starve. If you’re wondering why James is so severe with the rich in his letter, it’s likely because we’re still thinking like 21st century Americans. Not only did these people acquire ill-gotten gains, but they dragged Christians into court:

James 2:6–7 ESV

6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

I preached on this a little over a year ago. These are the same people, I’d say. And in case any of them were in the church, somehow, he continues:

James 5:2 ESV

2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten.

Even in life, earthly wealth tends to depreciate and decay. It’s rotting away and doomed.

James 5:3 ESV

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.

Not only will these riches decay and be burned up, but they will serve as evidence against those who never repented and died in their sins. God, on that great and final day, will point to the burning vaults of rusty money, the thing these people gave their life for, as evidence of condemnation.

James 5:4 ESV

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.

This verse explains in detail the scandal that must have drawn his attention. The rich were refusing to pay those who worked their fields. This may have been an outright refusal, where the rich were not concerned with any consequences due to their power and influence on account of their wealth. Or, it was a sneakier refusal, done by “legal” methods, such as bringing two paid witnesses to attest, “they weren’t really working” or “their work was unsatisfactory.” However it played out, those unpaid wages cried out to God.

There are two details in this verse we need to notice.

The unpaid wages “cried out” to God. These wages are described as having a voice, and having been party to a wicked action, they cry out to God.

Genesis 4:8–10 ESV

8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

All that needs to be said here is that “money, indeed, talks.” What is done with our wealth, whether that wealth is our treasure or talents, speaks about us to others, and it speaks about us to God. This wording is meant to trigger a recognition of the first murder, as James goes on to explain that these rich people are essentially condemning the less fortunate to death.

2. The title for God used in this verse is “the Lord of hosts.”

We actually sing this title from time to time. In A Mighty Fortress, a verse goes like this:

“Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,

were not the right man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing.

You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he!;

Lord Sabaoth his name; from age to age the same;

and he must win the battle”

Lord Sabaoth is the title that declares God to be the commander of the armies of heaven. This intentional usage of an Old Testament title communicates very clearly, “use your wealth to oppress the poor and risk the anger and contempt of the commander-in-chief of celestial armies.”

We now turn to the last two verses of this text, and then we will need to ask some tough questions of ourselves.

James 5:5–6 ESV

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.

Self-indulgence are the words that jump out to me. Self-indulgence is the driving motivation for people like this. The motivation behind their actions—the heart behind their behavior—is unregenerate, self-focused, and greedy. Having great earthly wealth is not an automatic corrupter; however, it is a very dangerous tempter, and it’s impossible to ignore the stance the Bible has towards wealth. God is the one who makes people rich, not themselves. Any talents or skills a rich person might point to as the reason they are successful only reinforces this point. Again, earthly wealth is more than a dollar—it is the talents, skills, and abilities to earn that dollar, as well. To receive such gifts, refuse to give thanks, and spend them on one’s own passions is to be like an animal—gladly feasting and fattening in a day of slaughter.

Psalm 49:20 ESV

20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.

Our final verse, verse 6, explains that the rich are condemning and murdering the righteous person, who is not resisting them. We’re only hearing half the conversation, so we aren’t aware of the exact specifics of the situation James is referring to. However, it’s safe a conclude a few things. First, to withhold wages like this could have equalled a death sentence. At the very least, it would’ve created a crisis for a lower-class family depending on those wages. The verse that comes to mind is from Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 24:14–15 ESV

14 “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. 15 You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin.

I can’t help but see Jesus in these words too. Who was the righteous person, unfairly condemned and murdered, but the Lord Jesus himself? Our Jesus was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, and didn’t resist a single time on his way to the Cross. To seal the dreadful warning given to the rich, James finishes his statements with a scathing comparison—the oppressive rich can join Judas in his reward.

Part 3: Us

We now step out of the text and look about ourselves, wondering how we should respond.

I often feel this way when I watch clips of high-profile court cases. Whatever it is, a blistering prosecutor, a contemptuous criminal laughing while the jury reads his verdict, or even fights in the courtroom—each time I think to myself, “How did these people get here?” I flinch at what unrestrained humanity looks like.

We really should flinch at James’ words. We really should ask ourselves, “am I laying up treasure in the wrong place?” I feel it is my duty to ask you, “is James talking about any of you?” Are there personal or business finances you would be ashamed to show the Lord of hosts? We should all understand that no showing is necessary, as the Lord knows it altogether. If anyone feels exposed beneath these words, then take heart, because Jesus saves.

All the debt you could never repay and all the righteousness you could never afford was paid in full. Jesus paid it all, for those who love him.

Speaking now to everyone else, regardless of your earthly wealth, I want you to look at Jesus the same way.

Do you see him, the Lamb of God, who was the priceless one and the King of the universe, giving up his riches and entering into this dirty, broken world?

Do you see him loving his people by entering into their pain and disorder?

Do you see him spending his precious life on everyone but himself?

At last, do you see him bearing your sins on the tree?

You have to see this, and you have to keep looking because when that body is laid in a tomb, provided by a rich man who loved God, it didn’t stay there.

Jesus rose again and spent 40 days preparing his people for his ascension. On the day he returned to his throne, he declared: “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me.”

We have to then look expectantly to the heavens, anticipating the Lord’s return, when dealing with our earthly wealth. We need to be constantly looking at the glory of Jesus and what he did for us, or we will get sucked into the trash of the world.

Proverbs 3:9–10 ESV

9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.