James 5: 1 – 6 Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.
Reflection “À la lanterne!”. One can almost hear the cry of the mob as the insurrectionist declaims the charge sheet of the sins of the rich – hoarding grain until it was no longer fit to be used; ostentation in parading in fancy clothes; greed in amassing possessions that turn out to be of no use; exploitation of the poor and labouring classes; living such a hedonistic life-style that they were now like an ox fattened up for sacrificial slaughter. Moreover, they have murdered the righteous one, who does not resist – thought by many commentators to refer to Christ himself.
Jesus may not have resisted on his own behalf, but did not hesitate throughout his ministry to call out in similar terms the sinfulness of those who wielded power and influence, for example in the Beatitudes. Such declarations may be found throughout the Bible, which has sometimes been described as the most explosive denouncement of social injustice of all time.
Confronted with the wrongs of the world we are fired up to take action, baying for justice now! À la lanterne! Yet, as we shall find tomorrow, James, the brother of Jesus, counsels patience.
Recent debates on what to do in reparation for the legacies of slavery, or calls to boycott companies which support regimes whose actions we deplore, have illustrated that what may seem to be simple courses of action can turn out to be simplistic and may not address the real issues. Sometimes our well-meaning actions may themselves lead to injustices. That is not an excuse for doing nothing or putting the matter into the “Too difficult” box. It is a reminder that perhaps we do not have all the answers, that those who do may well be those most directly involved – those with lived experience. We must do our research carefully and be prepared to listen respectfully and prayerfully. Then we can and indeed must act in Jesus’ name.
Prayer God of all justice we come in humility anxious to do your work on this messy earth and in this confusing society.
Jesus, we put our trust in you hoping that you will guide and impel us to act urgently where we see injustice.
We also ask that you instil in us discernment, understanding, and a willingness to listen to those with greater experience, and be open to letting the Holy Spirit guide us. Amen
Today’s writer
The Rev’d Ron Reid is a retired minister in the Mersey Synod serving as Link Minister at Rock Chapel, Farndon. He is a member at Upton-by-Chester URC
