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Partiality: Warning the Rich
by Aaron White
James 5: 1 - 5
The main point: Those who trust in wealth, live wastefully,
and abuse and defraud the poor fall under severe judgment and
condemnation from the Lord of Hosts.
The consequences of taking advantage of others in this world
are not always very severe. In fact, many people gain their
wealth and comfort in this world from just such abuse of
others and are excessively rewarded for it. We live in a world
of financial inequalities, and those of us who reap the
benefits of those inequalities do not often spare a thought
for the victims of our economic oppressions.
But God does spare a thought for the poor, James warns his
readers.
Just as he heard the cries of his people
Israel
when they were slaves in
Egypt, he hears the cries of
the oppressed, the labourers, the harvesters, those who have
been enslaved and abused and defrauded. God is a champion for
those who have no protectors here on earth, and those who
would take advantage of them had best beware the consequences.
James pulls no punches in this passage. “The rich”, he says,
are making a number of horrific errors that will come back to
burn them.
James has already addressed in his letter the reality that
some would-be Christians were treating the poor in an
unacceptable manner, and how offensive this was to the gospel.
It is not clear in this passage if James is speaking directly
to wealthy Christians or just to “the rich” in general. But we
can see how absurd it is to think of Christians abusing,
defrauding, cheating and ignoring their poorer brothers and
sisters. How could they withhold the rightful wages of those
with whom they claim to share the Holy Spirit? It simply does
not make any sense! And yet we know that Christian brothers
and sisters have done exactly this. How can we claim to have a
unity in the Spirit, and love for the Body of Christ, if we
treat one another so shamefully? We cannot, and such attitudes
and actions open us up to serious judgment.
But who falls under this judgment of “the rich”? It is
dangerous to try and assign an income figure to this label,
though it is equally dangerous to separate this discussion
from real-world wealth. These are not simply spiritually
realities: the poor are actually poor, struggling to feed and
clothe and shelter themselves, and “the rich” are actually
rich, having an excess of wealth and secure comfort. It is
helpful here to look at what “the rich” are being condemned
for in this passage: storing up wealth (putting their trust
and security in temporary things); holding back rightful wages
from their own labourers; living in luxury and wasteful
self-indulgence; and murdering the righteous person. These are
the attitudes and actions that define “the rich” who stand
under fearful judgment. It is not the mere fact of having
access to wealth that is condemned; it is the valuing of
wealth above people and above obedience to God.
These attitudes and actions are offensive to God first of all
because they betray a misplaced trust and worship. The rich
have put their hope in their impermanent wealth to protect
them from destruction, as if their resources keep them immune
from trouble. The opposite is true, says James. “The rich”
believe they are storing up their wealth, but in reality they
are storing up wrath against themselves in the last days. It
is pure folly to love wealth or to envy “the rich”. All of
their carefully protected wealth will rust and rot, and this
too will be a witness against them. They will rust and rot
just like their gold and clothes. (see Jesus’ teaching from
Matt 6:19-24)
It is offensive as well because it is wasteful. We have been
given resources to live on and to bless one another,
particularly within the context of the followers of Christ.
But “the rich” would rather spend their wealth on themselves,
or even see it wasted, than to share it with the poor. This
represents a disordered desire: we want more than what we
need, or other than what we should have, and because we do,
other people suffer. This is pure selfishness, and is
condemned (see the woes pronounced in Amos 6:1-6).
It is also offensive because “the rich” are directly abusive
towards others who have a distinct claim on their resources.
Deuteronomy 24:14-15 commands Israel to “not take advantage of
a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a
fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
Pay them their wages each day before sunset, because they are
poor and are counting on it. Otherwise they may cry to the
Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.”
And Malachi 3:5 prophesies that the Lord will swiftly judge
“those who oppress the hired worker in his wages.” The poor do
not exist solely for our benefit and privilege, and yet “the
rich” in this passage have chosen to use the labour of the
poor without giving them their wages.
The Lord will not fail to hear the cries of the labourers who
are defrauded in this way.
Finally, it is offensive because “the rich” condemn and murder
the righteous, who do not even resist this violence. Earlier
in his letter James had mentioned that it was “the rich” who
were oppressing them, dragging them into court and blaspheming
the name of Jesus. Why honour or envy these “rich” who stand
judged and condemned for this behaviour?
Our attitude and actions must be different, then, if we do not
want to stand condemned with “the rich”. We should rather
stand in solidarity with “the poor”, those who have no options
economically, and those who know that they cannot affect their
own salvation from sin and destruction. We should trust that
which is permanent, not wealth that rots and rusts. We should
live simply and not wastefully, learning to properly use and
share the resources we have been given. And we should honour
those who labour for us, and pay proper wages, also fighting
for those in our world who are taken advantage of in the name
of profit.
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