LESSON #12

The Risks Of Being Rich

James 5:1-6

The Book of James speaks on a variety of subjects. The passage that forms the text for this study concerns the subject of money. This is the third reference to riches and poverty in this epistle. 1:9-10 instructs the poor to rejoice when they are exalted and the rich to rejoice when they are humbled. The trials of life have a way of leveling us all, whether we are rich or poor. 2:1-13 points out the sin of showing partiality. 5:1-6 contains some very straight and strong talk to those who are rich.

The Bible has a lot to say about money because money and material goods are among the most essential items in life. No single lesson could possibly cover the subject exhaustively. But there is plenty said in this single text and its related scriptures to challenge and teach us about handling finances.

The language which James uses is strong, condemning the sins of the rich. However, that does not mean that it is a sin to be rich or that money itself is evil. Some of God's choice servants were people of means- Abraham, Solomon, Job, Joseph of Aramathea, Barnabas, Lydia - to name a few. Money is neutral, neither good nor evil. It has the potential of doing good things for God and us but it also has the real possibility of causing us to sin. The important thing is one's attitude toward wealth and one's actions with wealth. James 5:1-6 warns of the potential dangers that the rich face. Most would assume that the blessing of being rich far outweighs the burdens. We don't often think about the negative possibilities of riches. However, having money adds a great accountability and responsibility to one's life. The are some perils of prosperity, some real risks in being rich.

We should listen and heed to the three warnings that James sounds.

Be Careful How You Measure Your Money, 5:1-3

How do you regard money? How do you feel about it? How important is money to you? How do you measure money? We live in a very materialistic society. Our culture places great value on things. We tend to think that material things bring happiness. That's a good definition for materialism -thinking that things bring happiness. The Bible word for it is covetousness. It affects unbelievers and Christians alike. It affect both the rich and the poor. You don't have to be rich to think that things bring happiness. You don't have to wealthy to be materialistic. Materialism is like drinking salt water - the more you drink, the thirstier you get. The more money and material goods you have, the more you want. Materialism is an insatiable appetite for more things, see Luke 12:15, 23.

James starts of this section with the same words that he began the last section. "Go to now" means "Now listen here!" His words are particularly addressed to "ye rich men." We are sure to conclude that this eliminates us. However, the average American in the 1990's is indeed rich compared to his grandparents or the citizens of most other countries. Do you realize that in the 1920's only one-third of all Americans had a telephone, less than half had flush toilets and only one in ten households owned a car? Less than one-third of all homes then had central heat. Today, there are 1.3 TV's for every person in America and two vehicles per households. Compare that to other countries. In Nepal, for example, only 6% of the population has access to toilets, including latrines. In India, there is one telephone for every 189 people. Even the United Kingdom has less than half the television sets per capita as the U.S.A. In Japan, less than 60% of the population has flush toilets. You and I may not drive a BMW or a Rolls Royce but compared to previous generations and other peoples of the world, we are rich. The words of James 5:1-6 apply to us.

James reminds us that riches cannot prevent misery, v. 1. Even the rich "weep and howl" and have "miseries that come upon them." Riches can not spare you from problems in life. In fact, riches may cause some of your problems. Riches cannot promise security, v. 2-3a. Money has a way of vanishing. Riches, at best, are uncertain (I Tim. 6:17). James uses three items his readers would have been familiar with to illustrate this point. The first was grain. People in those days built barns and stored their grain. But if they kept more than they needed, it would rot ("corrupted") and do them no good. The second was clothing. In Biblical times, clothing was a form of wealth (see Acts 20:33). If people accumulated and hoarded clothes, the "garments would be motheaten" and their wealth would be gone. The third way of amassing wealth was by saving precious metals, "gold and silver." In those days, however, these metals were not pure. They contained alloys of other metals that caused them to "canker and rust." Wealth is accumulated as a kind of security blanket. But riches, no matter how you invest them, can quickly disappear. They do not promise security. Riches cannot protect you in eternity, v. 3b. In fact, they may be witnesses which testify against you when you stand before the judgment bar of God. Riches cannot preserve your body, v. 3c. They can destroy you and consume your body like fire. Be careful to guard your attitude toward riches, see I Timothy 6:6-10; 17-19. Make sure that you know the limitations of money, what it cannot do.

Be Careful How You Make Your Money, 5:4,6.

Not only does our attitude about money matter to God, He is also concerned with how we acquire our money. Prov .13:11 "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase." James indicates that some men acquire their wealth dishonestly, by cheating people who have worked for them or by using their riches and influence to control the courts to their gain. It is wrong to hold back wages (see Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14-15). The poor man may not be able to fight the rich (v. 6) but, according to v.4, God's ears are listening to their cries. We should be honest (Mal. 3:5; Col. 4:1) and sensitive to others, careful not to take advantage of another.

Be Careful How You Manage Your Money, 5:3d, 5.

God is concerned about how you use your money. He is just as concerned with the 90% that is your's to live on as the 10% tithe that you give to His church. In managing one's money their are two extremes to avoid -hoarding and squandering. These verses mention both. Some pile it up, v. 3d. It is not wrong to save but with some saving becomes ridiculous. They "heap to themselves treasures against the last days." Others live it up, v. 5. They waste their wealth on pleasure and luxury and wantonness. According to James, they are fattening themselves for their own slaughter. Either extreme is equally wrong - hoarding greedily and wasting recklessly. Blessed are the balanced.

James' theme throughout this epistle is to show us the marks of a spiritually mature person, to show us how faith and works are connected. The two meet at our money! How you regard, acquire, and manage your money is a real indicator of your spiritual maturity.