Endurance/Impatience

You know, I would not consider myself a patient person. It isn’t that I can’t wait for something, but it is that I don’t know what to do with the time in between. But humans, in general, are not great at being patient. In fact, a study by Wakefield Research surveyed 3,400 adults about how patient they are. What they found was that 96 percent of people knowingly bit into hot pizza knowing that it will burn their mouth. 60 percent of us hit an elevator button after it is already pressed. But I don’t think we need a study to tell us that. We hate waiting for things, we love immediate gratification. But what James shows us in this passage that the best things come to those who wait, that the best rewards come with time.

James in this passage calls us to be patient and endure as we wait for the Lord’s blessing.

James has just gotten done warning the rich about their lifestyle, their behaviors, and how they have treated others. He made clear that continuing to live for themselves would lead to their condemnation by God. James also spoke about favoritism towards the rich in ch. 4 and how we are to treat equally every person made in the image of God. So here, James redirects to those who have had to endure suffering and He calls them to wait until the day of the Lord where they will receive their reward. That blessing requires patience

Blessing requires patience

James discussed patient already in chapter 1 when he reminded them that patience is produced by testing. He calls them to stand firm and to not compromise their faith. Here he tells them why they are to be patient, because they are waiting for the Lord’s return.

He uses the example of a farmer who must be patient for the early and late rains so that it may grow. Because a farmer who harvests too early won’t receive the best reward, they will receive a poor reward. He won’t receive good fruit, he will receive fruit that is not ripe and not good for eating. Therefore he must be patient. The word for the farmer “waiting” is that he “expects” or “looks forward to” the rain. He has to have faith that the rain will come. I have never been a farming, but I can imagine anxiety as you wait for it. But the OT speaks of the Lord as the one who brings the rain as a reminder of His faithfulness, that He will bring even greater things and deliver his people. And so if the farmer receives such a great reward for his patience, how much more will God’s children receive God’s gracious gifts if they wait on Christ’s return.

2 Peter 3:8–9 CSB

Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

James calls them to stand for and strengthen their hearts. It is a word meaning “support” like you use a stake as support for a vine, something to lean against to carry your weight. So it is not describing them using their own strength, but relying on the Lord’s strength to help them endure. He says they should endure because “the Lord’s return is near”. He is saying to them “why would you give up now when you are so close to the finish line?” That would be foolish. In fact, wouldn’t that have made null and void all the work that you have done up to that point?

But a question we must ask is, “was James incorrect? Because the Lord’s coming wasn’t actually near since we are still talking about this 2000 years later.” But the point that James is making is 1st, that we should be ready for the Lord to return at any moment and so we should act as if His Lord’s return is near. Because 2nd, we don’t know when He will return, in fact Jesus himself said only His Father knew the day or the hour. So James didn’t know when the Lord would return, but He knew that we had to be ready.

This passage also points to something that Paul said in 1 Thess.

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13

1 Thessalonians 3:12–13 CSB

And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone, just as we do for you. May he make your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. Amen.

Here Paul calls them to strengthen their hearts so that they must protect themselves against sin in their life. And James wants to point them living holy as well. That is what he tells us next.

Blessing requires bearing with one another

When you first read this it may seem sort of out of place. Wasn’t he just talking about being patient? Why is he now talking about complaining about others? But when you look at the context you see the point that James is making. James calls them to not “complain”. It’s the same word used to describe the people of Israel “crying out” to God when they were in slavery in Egypt. So he is speaking about the complaints they have due to the oppression and suffering that they have faced. And certainly, as we have seen James speak out against them, there was certainly unfairness and favoritism being shown. But in using the language of “crying out” I almost feel like James is throwing a jab at them. As if he is saying they are taking these issues that were certainly there, but also certainly not like the slavery of Egypt and acting as if that is how terrible they are being treated. You can think of a boss you might have and you say that he is “working you to the bone”, and go on and on about how terribly you are being treated. And James is calling them to bear with one another even when they are going through difficult times.

You may have heard the saying “don’t get into an argument when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired”. Because when you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired we are probably not going to be thinking very rationally but we will be thinking emotionally. But when we are stressed at work, or if we are having health problems, or things aren’t going great at home we can find ourselves starting arguments with people and having bitterness and anger in our hearts. So James is calling them to bear with one another rather than argue so that you won’t be judged.

What does he mean “so that you won’t be judged?” Well I think he is reminding them of what Jesus said in Matt. 7 “do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” and as he says “the judge of all the universe is right at the door.” Because we don’t know what another person is going through. If things are difficult at home for them, if they are dealing with health issues, or if they are dealing with financial issues. And we usually complain as if we have done nothing wrong and don’t consider the perspective that another person might be bringing. But we should also recognize that when we are tired, when we are frustrated we are more prone to feel slighted. When we are going through tough times we can even find ourselves angry at people who are trying to help us. Because they won’t give us space, or “why would they ask me if I need anything when I don’t even know them”. Rather than recognize a desire from someone else to care for us.

But on the other hand, we should be careful to recognize when others are hurting we must be patient with them in their suffering. Because caring for broken people can sometimes lead to us being hurt, caring for broken people can test our own patience. But God’s Word calls us to work in community together rather than to have strife. It is much better to bear with one another in our burdens then to live in solitude. It is much better to bear with one another than to attack and gossip. And as James and Jesus say, we should be careful because none of us are without fault, so do we have any reason not to bear with one another?

Now these are some really difficult truths, there are really hard issues that James deals with, but he ends with hope, he ends with the Gospel, and he reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus. And I think there are three ways we can keep our eyes on Jesus.

Keep your eyes on Jesus who...

Those who came before us trusted in

Hebrews 11:39–40 CSB

All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

Hebrews 12:1–2 CSB

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Matthew 5:10–12 CSB

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

These passages remind us "are you the first to suffer?" And Jesus even says that they are to "Be glad and rejoice" when going through sufferings. Isn't that weird? Often we think "we can have peace through suffering" but we don't often think of thanking God for suffering. But the reminder is that those who went through it were blessed. It reminds us of Jeremiah, calling the weeping prophet, who suffered cruelty by his own people. Or Isaiah who died a martyr. But each of these prophets kept their spiritual integrity and waited patiently for the Lord. James reminds us that we have a great cloud of witnesses in our suffering, that we aren’t the first nor will we be the last to deal with difficulties.

The word for "endure" literally means to "stay behind", or to "wait for Christ". so we count those who wait for Christ through difficulties.

Gave us an example of endurance

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.”

Through perfect faith gave us our reward

“For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Then James reminds them that their suffering is not the end of God's story in their life, but "God will transform your situation for good when Christ is revealed in glory."