The Bible has no comfort whatsoever to give to people who are not Christians. None at all, except to warn them to flee from the wrath to come. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Very frequently, throughout the Bible when God sends his prophets or apostles to bring a message or warning to his people, God also has the messenger address the unbelieving nations because they too have not followed God’s law. One of many examples, in Zephaniah, the prophet delivers God’s message to Judah, but then he also addresses Judah’s neighbors, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria. James does the same thing here in the next section of his letter. James has taught his congregation how to understand and ultimately, benefit from the persecution that they are facing. He has taught them how to rely on God, how to support one another, and how to avoid falling into false deceptive thinking and sin. Next, following the Old Testament tradition, it looks like he is addressing the unbelievers who are responsible for the ongoing persecution.
James 5:1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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 workers 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 the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
In these six verses James declares that God will surely come to judge the nations and people who had persecuted the Christians. Now remember, that at the time this letter was written, James was the Pastor in Jerusalem.
Do you remember what had happened in Jerusalem that prompted James to write this letter?
A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 8:1, Acts 11:19-21
These next short six verses take up the same theme as the Book of Revelation; those who persecute God’s people will face God’s judgment. Just as John wrote Revelation to encourage the first century Christians to be strong, James wrote this letter to his scattered first century congregation to encourage them to remain faithful. Just as Revelation describes the coming judgment on apostate Israel and Rome, James describes four crimes for which judgments will befall those who are persecuting the scattered Jerusalem congregation.
James begins by demanding the attention of those who are persecuting Christians; Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
Now listen. Notice that James is not asking for repentance. It is too late for that. The people who opposed God, crucifying the Messiah are already condemned. Weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.
This exactly echoes the message of Revelation: He that is unjust, let him be unjust still, and he who is filthy let him be filthy still. Revelation 22:11 see also Ezekiel 3:27 The persecutors are not being called to change their ways, rather they are only told to weep and wail because of the judgment they are about to experience.
The first crime that they will be judged for is hoarding their various forms of wealth. 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.
They stored up so much wealth in the form of grain, oil, and other commodities that it was rotting. Because they had more clothes in storage than they would ever wear the moths were feasting on them. They had so much hoarded money that it had begun to tarnish. They violated God’s law by hoarding their treasures while their neighbors were destitute. They could have been generous but they chose to allow their wealth to rot rather than share it with those in need.
Second, not only did they refuse to be generous with the wealth they had accumulated but they actually were cheating the people that worked for them out of the wages they earned. 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. These unscrupulous farmers and businessmen practiced fraud. They actually refused to pay the workmen the wages due them: the wages that they had voluntarily contracted to pay. The harvesters complained about the unfair business practices and those complaints reached the Lord Almighty.
Third, the rich lived in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. They were not only misers and cheats but they were extravagant and wasteful. They lived in luxury giving themselves everything their hearts desired.
Jesus had taught that it is very difficult for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom. Why? They believe that they have it made. They see no need for God. They rely on themselves. Which is why Jesus said that we can’t serve two masters and enter his Kingdom. Matthew 6:24 Notice that Christ never said that that accumulating wealth is wrong. He did say, however, that exploiting the poor by refusing to pay the wages due them and failing to use the wealth that God has blessed you with to care for those in need is sinful. Additionally, looking to your wealth for meaning in life, or looking to your wealth for salvation from death, is also not only sinful, but futile.
Because the unbelievers indulged themselves at the expense of the destitute, James pronounces God’s judgment: You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.
Forth, and finally, the unbelievers are condemned for the crime of murder. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Who was the innocent one and who murdered him?
Just years earlier the people of Israel had cried, Crucify him. Crucify him… let his blood be on us and on our children. Matthew 27:22-25
Israel’s apostate religious leaders were the very same leaders who were killing the members of James’ Jerusalem congregation. Israel’s apostate religious leaders, in league with the Roman authorities, and with the consent of the people, condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you. In fact, Christ had come, not to oppose, but to offer salvation.
Also, sharing in Christ’s suffering, during this time of persecution, many believers were murdered. James is assuring his congregation that, though they are being persecuted and suffering, God has not forgotten them.
Though these words of condemnation were written to the nations that were persecuting the first century church, because God’s word doesn’t change, James’ condemnation is just as relevant and true today for any nation or person that rejects God. When America, or any other nation, rejects God, God will reject them in the same way that God rejected Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, and Assyria. Many in America have chosen darkness, John 3:19, and now these same people are puzzled as to why it is getting so dark. Many Christians have rationalized that choice with a lie. We deceive ourselves by saying that because there must be a wall of separation between the Church and the State, the State and those who rule over us must be secular. Christians are afraid or reluctant to proclaim the truth in the streets. Proverbs 1:20
Just like James began this section by demanding, Now listen, Christians should be boldly demanding that the world we live in, Now listen.
Evangelicals engaging the culture should look like something more than a dog lying on its back, asking for a tummy rub. This is what it means to engage the culture:
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations. Throwing down every high thing that vaunts itself against the knowledge of God. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (KJV)
Currently many voices, including some pastors, are accusing believers who are trying to engage their cultures while praying for revival in their lands, of being Christian Nationalists. This new pejorative term, ‘Christian Nationalism’ is used to dismiss anything vaguely traditional or moral. Even so, Christians must not abandon the public square because people say mean things about us. Our God-given call to be faithful to Him above our nation also means He’s called us to be faithful in our nation, at this time and in this place. Acts 17:26 John Stonestreet
We are to engage our unbelieving culture in the same way that God advised Jeremiah:
Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper. Jeremiah 29:7
As God has placed us in a democratic republic with constitutionally granted rights, Christians are in a unique position to publicly and boldly speak God’s truth. Although many Christians have misused Christ for political ends, Christ’s singular mission was redemptive: to save his people from their sins, Matthew 1:21, give his life as a ransom for many, Mark 10:45, seek and save the lost, Luke 19:10, grant eternal life, John 3:16.
We must never appease the popular political gods by neglecting or forgetting our primary responsibility: telling the world about Christ and discipling all who come to Christ to a radical faithfulness. As Peter taught, Christians are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Our failure to be faithful to our calling has dire consequences, not only to individuals but also to nations.
For lack of guidance a nation falls… Proverbs 11:14
Surita became a Christian after Christians prayed for her healing. She began attending church and, thankful for her healing, her husband, Kamal began attending church. However, Kamal’s father, Bikash, with whom the family lived, was a Buddhist, with a long history of persecuting Christians. Kamal backed down from his father’s threats and immediately stopped attending church, but Surita refused. One day in a drunken rage, Bikash threw Surita’s belongings out of the house, then grabbing her by the hair, beat her head so hard for ten minutes with her Bible that the Bible completely fell apart.
Surita told her pastor that during the beating, “I was remembering the pain of Christ on the cross. I thought if Christ suffered for me and gave his life for me, then this is a privilege for me to suffer for him. Even if I die here, it doesn’t matter because eternal life is secure for me. I felt privileged to suffer for Christ.”
When Kamal returned home, Bikash told him that Surita had to move out because she was a Christian. Kamal rebuked his father, and stood by his wife. However, standing up to his father cost him his home and his inheritance. With the help of her pastor Kamal and Surita moved to another city.
Bikash then renewed his persecution of the pastor and the church members. The pastor responded by saying, “If we are content with our believers in the church and we just worship, persecution never comes. When we evangelize, make disciples and the church grows, then persecution is a part of that.”
In December 2019 Bikash called a village meeting, attended by over 100 people. Bikash called for the imprisonment of the pastor and the elders of the church because Nepal’s government passed a law in 2017 criminalizing the conversion to another religion. Bikash threatened the pastor, grabbing him by the neck, “You are the one who preached to my daughter-in-law and made her a Christian. I will kill you.”
Return to The Letter of James.