Money Deceives-You Can Bank on That
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” James 5:1
Some readers of James might assume that he is condemning the rich for being rich. However, it was the actions of the rich that brought on James’ criticisms and not the fact that they were wealthy. Wealth is not sinful in itself. Money doesn’t commit sin on its own just like a gun doesn’t fire all by itself. What turns these inanimate objects into sin is the way that they are used by people. James was writing this particular passage to the wealthy Jews who had rejected Christianity and hated and persecuted the common folks who had become believers. Not all rich people reject Christ, but the percentage of those that refuse to commit and believe on Him are greater than the middle class or the poor who reject Him. The most obvious reason is that the rich depend on their money rather than on the Lord. However, money can just do so much. It can be gone in an instant, but the Lord is forever. James was indicating to the rich sinners that their wealth would eventually do them no good. There would be problems that would come upon them for which their wealth could not solve. They should never think that they are on “easy street”. Matter of fact, no one should think that. There is always a pothole up ahead, which, when we hit it, it sets up a whole chain of events that we didn’t see coming.
Money cannot “buy” forgiveness nor one out of the consequences of his or her sin. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, in 1517, his main objection to the teachings of the church was the remission of sins offered by the church in exchange for indulgences (money). Money is merely a medium of exchange for the necessities of life, but when it is used for sinful purposes, it is corrupt, and it corrupts its users. These unbelieving rich folks wouldn’t likely live the “life of Reilly” forever. Even if the rich were to maintain their wealth for life, they would eventually leave it all behind in death and face eternal misery without Christ. As the saying goes when one asks how much a person left behind when he passed away, the answer is “all of it”.
All the gold in Fort Knox (assuming that it is still there), the tea in China, and the investments on Wall Street could never purchase eternal life for anyone. Folks horde money for future use but then find that it has lost value due to inflation, or forget where they hid it like the squirrel who digs a hole in the yard to hide his pecan only to forget where it was hidden. And then the homeowner ends up with little holes all over the backyard. Wealth can’t be depended on for security because, like other things, it can be here today and gone tomorrow. The folks who lived through the Great Depression never forgot the hard times that they endured. Wealthy men in 1929 were committing suicide because the stock market crashed, and they became instantly poverty-stricken. Those who survived were the ones who had depended on the Lord to protect and provide for them, and had likely lived rather frugally, learning to make do or do without. God gave them the common sense to know how to survive. Like the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:10, they knew how to be content in whatever state they found themselves. One thing that is sorely lacking in society today, besides the worship and honor of God, is plain old common sense.
Besides the accumulation of and dependence upon wealth by these folks, James criticized them for using hired labor to reap their crops, but refusing to pay them, treating them like slaves. They also took good men, trumped up charges on them, condemned them, and had them executed so that they could take the estates of those who were murdered in order that they could add to their wealth. These falsely condemned men had no power to resist the wealthy and powerful. James reminded these rich and arrogant people that they had lived in pleasure and luxury for years never giving a thought that one day it would all be gone. They were like the rich man who died, who had refused to help the beggar named Lazarus who died first. He went to Abraham’s bosom, the paradise side of Hades, and the rich man went to hell, not because he was rich, but because he did not love God, as evidenced by his careless attitude of the poor. The rich man could see Lazarus being comforted and begged him for water, but it was not possible for Lazarus to help him. They had, in effect, exchanged places (Luke 16:20-31). James’ readers were like the rich man in Jesus’ account. They never considered that they would eventually be held accountable for their actions and face the grim reaper. Payday someday.