Here are the words of James 1:9-11:<\/p>\n
\u00a09<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>For
\nthe sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom
\nfalls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will
\nfade away even while he goes about his business.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nJames here uses, beginning at the end of vs. 10, a graphic image of perishing. Wild flowers could pop out and perish in one day. Some moisture, a cool night, some nice warm sun early \u2014 and then some scorching winds and some powerful heat evaporating the moisture \u2014 and the flower fades as its blossoms fall and then its beauty is history.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re looking now at some anabaptist stuff and this is the kind of verse that has worked its way into the very fabric of anabaptist thinking and praxis.<\/p>\n
\n
Materialism in the issue now; materialism was the issue then.<\/p>\nThe problem with materialism is not just materials. Possession of material things leads to a sense of power and pride. Both are intoxicating. Power and pride beget envy and greed, and they feed and fan power and pride. <\/p>\n
Furthermore, material things that lead to power and pride and envy and greed freeze the heart and compassion of a human when it comes to others. Material things can beget the conviction that \u201cwhat I have earned is mine\u201d and \u201cwhat\u2019s mine is mine.\u201d The poor can pick themselves up by their own bootstraps.<\/p>\n
Here we are face to face with the problem James faced: the rich were using their power to oppress the poor (read James 2:1-13 and 5:1-6). James warned them that the Day is Coming.<\/p>\n
Well, what do you think this text says to us about the Western lifestyle? I do not believe James is exhorting folks to be poor or to become poor. He\u2019s in that kind of world where the poor are poor and there\u2019s not much they can do about it and the rich are powerful and are oppressing. What does this say to the wealthy Westerner?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Here are the words of James 1:9-11: \u00a09\u00a0The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10\u00a0But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11\u00a0For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1777],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-james"],"yoast_head":"\n
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