“Pray To Be Rich”
Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance. James 5:1-6
Some of you may remember the TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” which was popular from 1986 to 1995. The show featured the extravagant lifestyles of wealthy business executives, entertainers, sports figures, and socialites. The host was Robin Leach, a British-born TV personality. I don’t think James would have been a fan of the show.
As we continue in our sermon series on the book of James, we’ll spend some time on this passage from chapter 5. Here James describes the lifestyle of the rich and famous in the first century AD. Specifically in the Roman Empire. In describing the rich he does not address them as brothers and sisters. Neither does he call them to repent of their sins. Rather he delivers a message of judgement. As a result, biblical scholars have concluded that James is not addressing rich followers of Jesus.
The first followers of Jesus were predominately poor. They were the victims of these rich people. They worked for them but were not paid. They were even condemned and put to death by the rich. James points out that in the midst of all these injustices, the Lord of armies has heard their cries. There will come a day of judgement for these rich people.
James does not condemn these rich people simply because they are wealthy. There were rich Christians among the first followers of Jesus. For example, in Luke chapter 8 we read about Joanna and Suzanna. And in Acts chapter 16 we are told of Lydia. James is pointing out the sins that the rich struggle with as they live lives on their own, apart from the Lord.
In the movie, “Fiddler on the Roof” the main character Tevye sings the song If I were A Rich Man. Before he starts singing, he prays:
"Oh, Lord, you made many, many poor people
I realize, of course, it's no shame to be poor
But it's no great honor either!
So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?"
Which begs the question, “Is it OK to pray to become rich?” As we’ve seen in chapter 4 of the book of James, it all depends. In James 4:3 we’re reminded:
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.”
If we pray to become rich, and God says “No” it’s because He loves us and is protecting us from the temptations the rich face. Temptations that can lead them away from the Lord and harm His people.
On the other hand, we’re already rich compared to most of the people in the world. So maybe we should spend our time praying that we don’t fall into temptation because of the wealth we already have.
In Christ,
Pastor David
