James 5

Introduction

Alrighty, welcome back to MCC and glad to have everyone here today. We are finishing up our series on James with James 5. Now last week we covered most of James four and that was the call to repentance, where James really called his audidence to look at the actions and behaviors of themselves and to realign themselves to God. If James 4 was the climax of the book, then James 5 is the closing statements and final reminders. Now the reason we didn’t finish Chapter 4 last week is becuase James 4:13-17 was the transition point and actually plays more into chapter five than it does into four. So we are actually going to be finishing up the rest of four and all of five today. With that being said let’s dig into James 4:13-17. If you guys want to open your Bibles and follow along that would be great.

James 4 13-17

James 4:13–17 NIV

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Now you guys have heard me say how I love James because almost everything he talks about is something that we can relate to today. This section is something that I have always struggled with. I am a big planner. I love to sit down and think about the future, whether it is the house I want to end up in, or the land I want to live on. It is really fun for me to dream about that kind of stuff. And you can ask Brooke, i love sitting on the couch in the morning with a cup of coffee looking at land for sell and dreaming about what it would be like to build a house, live off the land, and just live in the middle of no where. Now the only problem is, that cost alot of money up front, and we have kids to consider. I mean, i grew up in a neighborhood and had lots of good memories playing with the neighbor kids and making friends, so do I really want to deprive my kids of the social things they would be missing? And then there is the fact that we have family nearby and that would make it hard to visit. And most importantly, if I lived int he middle of nowhere, it would make it hard to go to church. Either way, you guys get what I am saying. But I love to plan for the future and think about tomorrow.

But when i read this it reminds me that ultimately, i have no control over what happens in my life. I can trick myself into thinking that I have control, and really i do, there are things within my sphere of influence that I can control, but the one thing that is outside of my sphere of influence is the future. I have zero control there. I can make moves and do things in the present that will hopefully influence the outcome of the future but at the end of the day, I don’t t know what will happen tomorrow that is outside of my control.

But there are a few things that we need to keep in mind while reading this, because it is easy for us to fall into the trap of misinterpretation here. It is easy to read these vereses and think that James is condemming planning in general. And that for whatever reason it is wrong for us dream about tomorrow. And that isn’t quite what James is saying so let’s dig in just a little bit. Now this first part, James 4:13, we can assess that James is talking to the merchant class here. Remember how I said his auidence was Jewish Christians who had been misplaced, well not all of them were likely poor. Some of them may have willingly moved and sought out business opportunities. We know he wasn’t addressing anyone specific because he says today we will go to this or that city, indicating he wasn’t directly quoting anyone in particular but making a general statement. Now like i said, it isn’t wrong to make plans or to seek business opportunities where you make profit, what James is saying is wrong here is in James 4:16 where he says “as it is you boast in your arrogant schemes.” You see James isn’t addressing a person who is business minded or likes to think about the future, what he is addressing is someone who is relying on themselves more than they are on God. They are boasting about what they are going to do acting like they ultimately control their future. James says no, you don’t even know what is going to happen tomorrow, your life on this earth is so short and fragile and could ultimately end at any moment. Instead of boasting, and boasting being the key word here, they should rather say if it is God’s will, then this will happen.

And this here is the key difference, throughout the Bible we see a pattern of God wanting his people to rely on him instead of themselves. Sometimes when we are planning our future we tend to take God out of the equation, we get so focused on a goal and we start to work toward it. And when we take God out of the equation and we meet that goal, then we start to think that we got there all on our own and that we don’t need God. Or if we don’t meet that goal, we are left angry and bitter and disappointed. James tells us that we have no control over the outcome of the future, and instead of boasting about what we are going to do, we should be praying that whatever happens, it is according to God’s will. It is a shift in attitude where we say okay, if it is God’s will that this happens then it will. That doesn’t mean that we can’t stop working towards our goals, but ultimately giving it to God and saying that if God wants it to happen then it will.

This is something in my life that I have always tried to do. Back in 2018 I hit a point in my previous career where I realized that I needed to switch things up. I needed to get a new job, completely outside of the career I was in because what I was doing was having a profound affect on my mental health as well and my physical health. And so i started planning, I picked a new job and started laying the groundwork for me slowly working to a point where I could have a job in a different career field. I started dreaming, but one thing Brooke and I always made sure to do was pray and ask God that if it was his will, then it would happen. Every job interview, every move, every step along the way we prayed that God’s will be done. Now, the initial plans that I made definitely and changed and morphed over time, but we tried to be as fluid as possible and to leave it all to God. if one door shut then we would go and try and open an new one. And through this process we have seen God lead us to a good place, sure it wasn’t the place i thought i was going to be but in the end it was way better than the plans that I originally had. And this is what James is talking about, there is nothing wrong with planning for the future, but we must rely and trust in God. We have no control over what is going to happen, and if our plans don’t work out the way we want, being okay with that and being content with what God has given us. But what is wrong is to plan and leave God out of the equation and arrogantly boast about it, which can in effect say that we don’t need God.

Now the last part of this verse does seem to kind of awkwardly put in there. We could easily take this verse by itself and have a sermon about it. Normally people take this verse out of context, and not in a bad way, but the use it as a platform to talk about the sin of omission. And this is one of the few times that I will say this verse is okay to be taken out of context because there are several times that the sin of omission is addressed in the Bible and a few times by Jesus as well. So if someone was to pluck this verse and use it as a supportive verse about the sin of omission then that would be reasonable. But since we are reading James, we will want to understand the context in which James means it. Now when i say the sin of omission i am talking about exactly what James says, knowing the good we should do, and failing to do it. Now in the context of what James was talking about, we can look to the previous few statements. James had just talked about planning for our future without God in the equation, so James is saying that we now have no excuse, if we know that we should be depending on God to provide for us and we know that his will is ultimately what is important and we instead try and take control into our own hands then we are still sinning.

Now part of me wants to spend the rest of the sermon here just on that verse along and talk about the sin of omission and the other times it is talked about in the Bible. And I easily could, but I won’t and will just say one thing about it. I said last week that we tend to view sin as actions right and we assign a moral value to those actions. But again, sin is not something that we do, but rather our sinful nature causes us to do these bad things. But our sinful nature can also cause us not to do good things either. Even when we pray for forgiveness we tend to ask forgiveness for things we have done rather than things we didn’t. Maybe I also need to ask God to forgive me for not reaching out to a neighbor in need, or that I failed to bear witness to a co-worker when i had to opportunity. Just as our sinful nature leads us to do bad things, it also prevents us from doing good.

James 5: 1-6

James 5:1–6 NIV

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 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. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

So here we have James slightly transition, now he isn’t transitioning into a new topic, this topic plays off what we just read, but he is switching who he is addressing. You see in the last set of verses we can assess that James was talking to a group of, let’s say middle class to middle upper class merchants who were Christians in the church. The language that he uses is completely different in that set of verses than in these. In 4:13 we see him address a group, ask some rhetorical questions, and then offer instruction on what they should be doing. There is none of that in James 5: 1-6. Here James addresses a group and then rebukes them. So based on the language used and the way he is addressing this group, it is different from the last. Here James is most likely addressing a group of non-believers who are rich, oppressing the poor, and sinfully misusing their wealth. Now the reason i say that these are most likely non-Christians is because of how James addresses them. When he says “you rich people” he is actually drawing on a theme that is throughout the Bible. God’s concern for the poor is reflected in many of the Mosaic laws that give direction to the people of Israel as they live in covenant relation with their God. In Israel’s later history, these laws were often ignored, and the poor were oppressed and taken advantage of by wealthy, powerful officeholders and landholders. As a result, the term “rich” can occasionally be used as a synonym for “the unrighteous” (cf. Prov. 10:15–16; 14:20). And in the books of the prophets, they frequently denounce the oppression from the wealthy as well. We all see Jesus give a woe to to the rich in the book of Luke. Now something to keep in mind here is that the “rich” aren’t being condemned because they are simply rich, but almost always their condemnation can be attributed to a misuse of wealth. You see it isn’t a sin to be rich, but when you hoard wealth and take advantage of people, that’s where it becomes an issue. You see the people James is addressing

Hoarded wealth

Failed to pay workers who did jobs for them

Lived a lifestyle of self indulgence

condemned and murdered the innocent one who was not opposing them

Now this last one, James probably wasn’t talking about an actual murder. Remember last week how I said James was using kill? James most likely wasn’t suggesting that Christians were killing each other, but used it to show the most likely outcome is envy was left unchecked. Something similar is happening here. James isn’t saying that the rich directly murdered someone, but by failing to give them the money they earned, or cheating them and taking way employment, the poor could starve to death. Sirach actually makes the same connection. he says in Sir. 34:26-27

Sirach 34:26–27 NRSV

To take away a neighbor’s living is to commit murder; to deprive an employee of wages is to shed blood.

Again though, the condemnation is to those who are misusing their wealth, not simply for just having money in the first place. But in our culture, amassing material wealth is not only condoned, but admired. So we need to come to grips with the point that James is making and ask ourselves seriously, are we using what we have to benefit the kingdom of God because for our culture, this can be a strong obstacle in our faith. Jesus did warn us, that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. So while we might not be oppressing poor people and failing to pay wages, are we living a life of self indulgence and hoarding wealth? How often do we use what we have to meet the needs of others. And I am not talking about just giving to the church here. I am talking about the attitude in which we give and if we are seeking opportunities to bless people. I think that is what we can take away from these verses. Lets go ahead and move on.

James 5: 7-12

James 5:7–12 NIV

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.

Now we have to ask ourselves, if James was addressing non Christians in the last set of verses, why did he even bother to write it? It’s not like they were going to read James’s letter. The most likely possiblity is that James was condeming the rich in order to remind the readers, who were most likely the poor and the ones being oppressed, of what was coming to those who sinfully mismanaged their wealth. It’s almost like James wrote it to provide some comfort and ease of mind to his audience. After writing the condeming words towards the rich, he seeks to comfort the brothers and sisters who are going through hard times. He pulls on the story of Job to remind those who are suffering about perseverance and how, in the end, Job was blessed for sticking with God. Now if you don’t know the story of Job it is about a guy who was really well off and then lost everything. And I mean everything, his land, his family, his friends, he was struck with boils. I mean overall he just had a really bad time but he persevered and was rewarded. James’s audience would be familiar with the story of Job and would probably be able to relate in their current situation. So james is reminding his readers here the benefits of perseverance. And this is how he started his letter off. In the introduction he talks about persevering through trials and temptation. This is his final reminder about it.

The other final reminder we see here is James once again tell his reader not to grumble or complain about each other. Throughout his letter James has repeatedly talked about this subject. So again, this is his final reminder to them not to speak ill of eachother lest they be judged

Now his final statement here where he says Above all. James isn’t quite saying that this is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the entire letter. As in above all being the top commandment. Rather it is a literary device used to indicated the closing statements of his letter. Now this phrase isn’t used anywhere else in the New Testament as a closing statement so we can’t say that James isn’t putting an emphasis on this last part. I am mostly just saying that James most likely isn’t trying to say that this is the most important part of his letter. Now when he says Do not swear, he isn’t talking about four letter words, but he is talking abotu invoking God’s name in a promise. Such as, I swear to God. James views this as an issue of personal integrity. A trustworthy person wouldn’t need to invoke the name of God as if that some how makes the promise more serious. A yes should be a yes and a no a no. If you aren’t trustworthy enough to be taken at your word and find yourself having to tell people that you swear to God, then there is an issue. Now this verse is a callback to Lev. 19:12

Leviticus 19:12 NIV

“ ‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

but it is also mirrors the teachings of Jesus. James is almost directly quoting something that Jesus had said in Matthew 5:34-37

Matthew 5:34–37 NIV

But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

James 5:13-20

James 5:13–20 NIV

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Now here we see James remind his readers once again, that if they are need to pray. This is the third time that James brings up the importance of prayer and how when we sincerely ask God for help then God will bless us. And I love the statement that he makes, the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. How often do we dismiss prayer in our lives. I know for me it is definitely something that I need to improve on. I often have the mindset that what is going to happen is going to happen and that there is really no point in praying. But Jesus reminds us, and so does James, that the prayer is powerful and effective. I guess that mind set goes back to not knowing what is going to happen tomorrow. Nothing is set in stone, and how do I, in my limited state, know for a fact that prayer is or isn’t going to have an effect on the outcome of the future. Anyways, we should never underestimate the power of prayer and James reminds us of that. And finally, he reminds us to keep each other accountable. If we see a fellow brother or sister starting to wander, starting to pursue friendship with the world over a relationship with God, we are called to bring them back to the truth. The truth being Christ.

Throughout the book we see James give instruction on what it looks like to be pursuing a relationship with God and how it should be reflected in our actions and in our speech. He talks about it on the individual level as well as the community level. If we ever need a reminder of what it looks like to be pursuing a relationship with God and need good solid practical advice, I think that James is one of the best places to look outside of the Gospels. But I think the way James ended his letter is a perfect way for us to end this series. Don’t forget to pray. If you are tired and beat down, if you are struggling emotionally, physically, or financially bring it before God and don’t underestimate the power of prayer. And know that God will take care of you and that when we persevere our relationship will be made stronger. Let us pray.