Episode 162 - "Don't use your privilege to oppress others!" - James 5:1-6

James 5:1   Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

It has dawned on me that careful reading and interpretation of this letter is a good exercise in the process of hermeneutics. That’s just a fancy word for the process of interpretation. Why is it that this letter is such a good exercise in the process of interpreting Scripture and literature in general? Because James says things in ways that, if we take them very literally and define the boundaries of meaning from our own culture and perception with little consideration of other factors, we could easily misinterpret the intended meaning.

For example, could we not interpret the first three verses of this section to say that rich people are evil or that it’s wrong to have wealth? But, then we have a problem when we think about people we’ve known or been familiar with who are financially successful and are wonderful people of faith. How do we reconcile that conflict? I would suggest that we make a habit of returning to the text and reading more broadly through the work of literature and see if there are clues from the context.

James begins by saying the rich will “weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you (deservedly).” (v. 1) He continues by stating matter-of-factly that these items of earthly value have corroded, and they will testify against them (implied as evidence of judgment as if these items could speak) and will eat their flesh. Already we should recognize a problem with such an absolute, literal interpretation. These are inanimate objects. They cannot speak or eat. For that matter, they even tend not to corrode so quickly. Yet, James speaks as though it’s already happened. But, then there’s the question, what is so wrong with gold and silver that James speaks of it in such a way, and how or why does it speak judgment against its owner? The context helps us interpret what James is really after.

The end of verse 3 says (of the rich), “You have laid up treasures in the last days.” (v.3b) This is not so bad in and of itself. In Proverbs 6:6-8 we find the wise teacher speaking against those who are lazy and don’t want to work and speaks of the ant that stores up for the winter when it cannot find food. There is wisdom in planning for times when provision may be lean. But that’s not what is happening here. James continues in verse 4 that these rich people have been defrauding, not paying, their less fortunate employees. Now we’re getting to the root of the problem.

Did you notice that both groups of people are crying, both the rich oppressors and the defrauded workers? But, the rich oppressors will be crying because of the judgment that will justly come upon them. The defrauded workers are crying to the Lord out of their need and the injustice. Guess who the Lord hears? Verse 4 says it’s the latter group's cry that reaches the ears of the Lord.

James continues his indictment of the wealthy oppressor in verse 5 when he speaks of his self-indulgence. Then in verse 6, James says the rich oppressor has “condemned and murdered the righteous person.” 

Clearly, the issue James is addressing is not how much money one makes. The issue is whether you use what the Lord has blessed you with for righteous and just purposes. If the Lord has blessed us with more than what we need, then we ought to use that abundance to help others with their needs. 

All the way back in Genesis 12:1-3, we see this principle in the Lord’s call of Abram. The Lord promised to bless Abram and that he would be a blessing to others. So, this principle becomes more evident as we read the context in which this indictment is set, but it also is consistent with what is revealed outside of this letter but within the scope of God’s revelation through time. 

Our God is consistent, and he consistently desires that we act justly toward others. The Lord desires to bless us. We must pass on the blessing to others to the measure we are able to according to those blessings.

Prayer: Lord, help me be a blessing to others to the ability that you have made possible.