12-07-2024, 03:06 PM
Western commentaries tend to assume James begins this chapter addressing non-believers. That would be missing the point. He's addressing Jews specifically; not people of the Covenant but of the Talmud. They believed that wealth was the mark of God's favor, while James' brother Jesus taught that, when it comes to the question of material wealth, God was more likely to favor the poor in Israel, if anyone. That's because, on average, a Jew became wealthy by deceit, trickery and fraud, all covered up by exemptions in the twisted "law" of the Talmud but condemned specifically by Moses. The Talmud was filled with gotchas that favored the smart-aleck materialist.
James lowers the boom on them, warning that while they are saving up wealth, God is saving up wrath in their names. Their materialism was rotting their souls. By contrast, James plays up the patience and tolerance of an otherworldly orientation. The Kingdom of God was not found in material wealth, but in the treasury of souls.
Note: There is some symbolic ambiguity in his use of the phrase, "the Lord's return is near." The Greek word itself also means "approaching" -- active as opposed to the static "near" -- which accords with a typical Hebrew conception of things as dynamic rather than static. Hebrew minds would not take this the way it sounds in most English translations, as if James imagined it being any day now. It could be today, but that's not the point. Rather, it's more a matter of, "Don't be caught with your pants down."
A part of Job's moral duty was to endure things he could not understand. One must be patient with God, since He is even more patient with us. Embrace that habit of indulging your brothers and sisters, as well, since you don't get to choose them; God chose them, and you must embrace them. That means dropping the habit of making people swear oaths, as if that somehow makes them behave more to your liking. Can't you just trust each other? Learn to say "yes" or "no" and be the kind of person for whom everyone takes your word for it. Swearing oaths drags in spiritual forces you may regret.
Our first instinct when suffering should be to pray to God, not whine to other people. And should we feel blessed, let God be the first to know. If you start suffering health issues, don't pretend you are some kind of martyr. Your elders need to know so they can pray with you and perform the standard rituals that go with seeking God's favor.
This is how God told us to deal with such things. It's not silly nonsense; He takes it seriously. He regards the prayers of those who make it a habit to cultivate His favor. Do you take seriously the legends about Elijah? Those aren't myths; his prayers carried a lot of weight with God. His prayer for a drought brought one that lasted for a time of tribulation (3.5 years). His prayers also brought back the rain so that crops bore fruit again.
Would you like to bear fruit? Try helping your brother stay on track with faith and obedience. God pays attention to such efforts, even if your brother doesn't.
James lowers the boom on them, warning that while they are saving up wealth, God is saving up wrath in their names. Their materialism was rotting their souls. By contrast, James plays up the patience and tolerance of an otherworldly orientation. The Kingdom of God was not found in material wealth, but in the treasury of souls.
Note: There is some symbolic ambiguity in his use of the phrase, "the Lord's return is near." The Greek word itself also means "approaching" -- active as opposed to the static "near" -- which accords with a typical Hebrew conception of things as dynamic rather than static. Hebrew minds would not take this the way it sounds in most English translations, as if James imagined it being any day now. It could be today, but that's not the point. Rather, it's more a matter of, "Don't be caught with your pants down."
A part of Job's moral duty was to endure things he could not understand. One must be patient with God, since He is even more patient with us. Embrace that habit of indulging your brothers and sisters, as well, since you don't get to choose them; God chose them, and you must embrace them. That means dropping the habit of making people swear oaths, as if that somehow makes them behave more to your liking. Can't you just trust each other? Learn to say "yes" or "no" and be the kind of person for whom everyone takes your word for it. Swearing oaths drags in spiritual forces you may regret.
Our first instinct when suffering should be to pray to God, not whine to other people. And should we feel blessed, let God be the first to know. If you start suffering health issues, don't pretend you are some kind of martyr. Your elders need to know so they can pray with you and perform the standard rituals that go with seeking God's favor.
This is how God told us to deal with such things. It's not silly nonsense; He takes it seriously. He regards the prayers of those who make it a habit to cultivate His favor. Do you take seriously the legends about Elijah? Those aren't myths; his prayers carried a lot of weight with God. His prayer for a drought brought one that lasted for a time of tribulation (3.5 years). His prayers also brought back the rain so that crops bore fruit again.
Would you like to bear fruit? Try helping your brother stay on track with faith and obedience. God pays attention to such efforts, even if your brother doesn't.