Are you been fair...?

James chapter 5 captures my heart in a very captivating complex reeking of the prophetic – the end of ill-gotten wealth and the vast majority of men whose heart have been lost in the maze of seeking and amassing it at all costs; the corruption that is rife in a world where money is king; the coming doom of the age and the judgment of sinful rich men whose overly bloated riches/wealth is an evidence against them; and lots more.

I can not but  see how James aptly captured the destruction of this world, as he uses words like: “Your gold and silver is cankered and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire”. By the word “fire” he immediately alludes to the destruction of this world (the earth & the heavens) by fire. And to make certain that his Christian audience recognizes this allusion, he adds “ye have heaped pressure together for the last days”. By using the words “lastdays” he again strikes of the inevitable future judgment that would come on the heels of the last days.

I must quickly add that his next line of thought brings to us some of the realities of the unjust and greedy ways riches were being gotten and amassed! He calls with urgency. “Behold!” It was something to strike a point! Hired labourers are not being treated fairly! The situation of the labour market, which leaves a vast majority jobless and small enviable few employed has created a great imbalance which the rich are bent of making the most profit of --an arguably ruthless profit! Taking occasion of the fact that there was no employment the poor would be left with no choice than to accept the excessively meagre pay. Since they had little or no option if they must not die of hunger! Yet at times, the employers devise ways to punish the poor by withholding or slashing their pay at the slightest provocation.

In doing this, while the rich are enjoying themselves living in the pleasure of their ill-gotten riches, they kill and condemn the poor to further poverty so the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

And just before we think we are not guilty ourselves of the “sins” of the “rich” we need to examine ourselves too.

When we have agreed to pay a certain sum to those who have worked for us, do we actually pay? When we know that those who have worked for us, (e.g. our tailors, cobblers etc.) have actually done well, and we know we can pay them better, do we actually pay them in a manner they can turn to their God and thank God for making you one of their customers? Or are you the type that quarrel with those who have worked for you, finding all kinds of faults with their jobs, just so that you can have a reason to pay them less than what has been agreed?

Examine yourself!

James would offer a rather interesting encouragement and advice to the believers whereunto he wrote in the verses to follow: The first thing he urges upon them is this: Be patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord.

This advice interests my heart a lot! We must not fail to take home a big but silent point that comes with it: THE END OF THIS UNJUST SYSTEM OF THIS WORLD IS NEAR! THE LORD IS COMING! HAVE PATIENCE!

The way James deems it fit to encourage, was by pointing them, FIRST, to the coming of the Lord! It pays to reflect on this point, so that we do not miss the implications of what James said: THIS WORLD IS INCURABLY CORRUPT, and can only be SUSTAINED by us – the light & the salt, till the return of Christ! #selah

Next, James proceeds to lay guidelines to how we must live in order to be the change we desperately need to be!! Grudge not one another, learn to suffer* in patience, be happy to endure, just like job, swear not – let your integrity be above board that you don’t have to!

Then he concludes, by telling us to pray for the sick --- not wait for the Lord’s coming (clearly showing that there are certain things we must be able to change for Good, and not just wait till Jesus comes!) Then he tells us about the secret of effective praying – fervency & fellowship with the holy spirit! And he urges us towards, evangelism & soul winning, & restoration of the erring saint!