God Has Honored the Poor, Chosen Them to Be Rich With Faith, and to Inherit the Kingdom of Heaven
Believers who are poor or in lowly circumstances should glory that God has made them spiritually rich exalting them to a high position. God has honored them. Remember that you possess spiritual blessings far beyond what material wealth can offer. No amount of material possessions will be able to bridge the gap between them and you—no matter how foolish they make themselves appear by oppressing you with empty materialism. True success is spiritual, fruit bearing, and perseverant.
9 ·Believers [Brothers or sisters] who are ·poor [in lowly/humble circumstances] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has made them spiritually rich [in being raised up; in their exaltation; in their high position]. 10 [L But] Those who are ·rich [wealthy] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has shown them that they are spiritually poor [in their humiliation; in their lowly state; Jer. 9:23–24]. [L Because] The rich will ·die [pass away; wither] like a ·wild flower in the grass [or flower in the field]. 11 [L For] The sun rises with ·burning [scorching] heat and ·dries up [withers] the ·plants [or grass]. The flower falls off, and its beauty is ·gone [destroyed]. In the same way the rich will ·die [L wither away] ·while they are still taking care of business [in the midst of their pursuits; L in his journeys; Ps. 49:16–17; 103:15–16; Is. 40:6–8] (The Expanded Bible, 2011, James 1:9-11 EXB).
5 Listen, my ·dear [L beloved] brothers and sisters [C fellow believers]! ·God chose [L Did not God choose…?] the poor in the world [1 Cor. 1:26–29] to be rich with faith and to ·receive [L be heirs of] the kingdom God promised to those who love him [Luke 6:20] (The Expanded Bible, 2011, James 2:5 EXB).
The Place of Rich and Poor before God. Both poverty and riches bring enormous pressure on a person to focus on the world rather than on Christ. Thus James exhorts the poor to boast (or glory) in their high status in Christ. The lowly brother will be exalted or vindicated by God. In contrast, James exhorts the rich to boast in their humiliation, (1) by realizing that their wealth is temporary and that it brings them no advantage before God, and (2) by identifying with the poor in their affliction. The church is to be a “countercultural” community, which reverses the values of the world (cf. 2:2–4). Given the context, James seems to be saying that the challenges of poverty and wealth may be one of the greatest “trials” for Christians, as would be suggested by his immediate emphasis (see 1:12) on the “blessed” status of those who remain “steadfast under trial.” James also echoes Jesus’ warning that “You cannot serve God and money” (ESV Study Bible, 2008, James 1:9-11 ESV).
Remember, you who are poor, that you are chosen to be rich in faith above all others and to inherit the Kingdom of God. One day you will live as immortal kings and priests in the highest realms of existence walking on streets of gold as if they were common sidewalks, while your persecutors endure the eternal nightmares of hell, writhing like worms in everlasting fire. Those who preach Christ yet crush the poor are no Christians at all but children of the devil—their faith a hollow boast masking ruthless unbelief. Your vindication is coming by the hand of God.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Proverbs 11:4).
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Matt. 25:40).
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted (ESV Study Bible, 2008, Psalm 9:12).
- ESV Study Bible (ESV Text Edition: 2016). (2008). Crossway.
- The Expanded Bible. (2011). Thomas Nelson.
Fraternitatis Aeternae, Ordo Luminis.