James 1: 9 – 11 Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the field; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. It is the same with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.
Reflection Turning the world upside down is the great clarion cry of the Christian message. From the words of Mary in the Magnificat, and Jesus’ teaching about the folly of relying on material things of this world, to these reflections in the epistle of James, we have the vision of a new world order where the lowly and poor will be raised up and the rich will wither away.
In its collection of bon mot aphorisms, the Book of James has something of the flavour of the Book of Proverbs and other Old Testament Wisdom literature. In its style of language what can come over is a rather simplistic notion that the poor need not worry; they should be patient and endure the trials of this world; the treasures of the rich will pass away and the lowly will get their deferred reward in the life to come. This mantra formed the bedrock of the unjust world of mediaeval feudal Christianity, and of many oppressive regimes since.
But the power of James’ message, and indeed of the whole gospel story, is that when it talks about the rich and poor its focus is on the quality of one’s spiritual life rather than on the material world and how much one has or has not of it. The richness of the kingdom of God is not just something to be attained in some distant future and realm … it is a state of being and flourishing that is to be entered into and enjoyed now!
Prayer Lord, Open my eyes and my heart to your good news revelation.
Help me to see to embrace to live now the rich liberating life of the Spirit;
made possible through the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Today’s writer
Professor Graham Handscomb, Member of Christ Church URC Chelmsford
