Whether you have it all or lack it all, the message from James is, “It’s all gon’ pass.”  

Rich or poor, having plenty or having need, James reminded his readers that this life is short and the  one to come is eternal. Those with need, whom James calls “lowly brothers” should take heart  knowing this life of poverty is going to pass away. They should remember they are already co-heirs  with Christ, already raised with Him! They will enjoy the abundance of the Kingdom because they  are “brothers.” They know Jesus and are known by Him. He’s going to share all that is His with all  who are His. On the other hand, there are believers who have everything they think they need in this  life, and more. They are whom James calls the “rich.” James reminds them, too, that it’s going to  pass away. Despite all they have to offer the world, they, too, come to Jesus in humility. Whether  you are experiencing hardship of poverty or are flush with cash, the message is the same, “It’s all  gon’ pass.”  

THE PARADOX OF WEALTH 

A paradox is a true statement that seems contradictory. G.K. Chesterton says, “A paradox is truth  standing on its head for attention.” That’s imaginative language. But I think it describes what James  is trying to do here pretty well. Truth standing on its head for attention. And the truth that’s  standing on its head is the poverty of wealth.  

Wealth is relative. Most Americans are among the wealthiest people in the world. Hundreds of  millions of people around the world subsist on less than $2/day whereas the poverty line in the  United States is roughly $36/day. Globally speaking, even the poorest among us is relatively wealthy. (https://www.worldvision.org/sponsorship-news-stories/global-poverty-facts)  

But we do not live in a global economy. Our national and even local economy requires a much higher income to live. In that regard, there are people who would be counted among the wealthiest  in the world and simultaneously are living in poverty or near poverty here among us. 

I say this because as we consider James’ letter, we need to recognize that on the one hand we’re  incredibly blessed to live in a great and free nation with relative wealth. On the other hand, you can 

live in a wealthy country and very much feel the pangs of poverty. The point is that regardless of how much money you make, you should all be able to take consolation from James’ encouragement  to the poor and be challenged by James’ exhortation to the rich.  

Let’s read the passage then I’ll pray, and we’ll jump into it!  

can you buy gabapentin online 9 http://modernsmile.com/services/invisalign/ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a  flower of the grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers  the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the  midst of his pursuits. 

LET THE HUMBLE BOAST 

James begins with an exhortation to the lowly brother. 9Let the lowly brother boast in his  exaltation, Who is the lowly brother? The lowly brother is the saint who at one point might have  been a person of some means, enough to disperse from their home, but nevertheless had to leave  their wealth behind or had it confiscated, forcing their dispersion. These people were ostracized,  homeless, hungry, and destitute. The lowly brother would have been one who was easily taken  advantage of, easily overlooked, & easily taken for granted. We believe that most of the original  audience would identify with the descriptor, “lowly brother.”  

James encourages these lowly brothers to boast. Our use of the term boast usually carries a negative  connotation. We generally would say it is not good to boast. However, the word can also mean  “glory” or “rejoice.” Thus, James is telling the lowly brother to rejoice or glory in something the  same way Paul said that he “boasted in his weakness.” Their boasting, like Paul’s, would bring glory  to God because such boasting demonstrates their confidence in God’s character and capability. 

This is still a paradox, though – let the lowly brother boast (rejoice, glory) in his exaltation. But it  begins to make sense when we remember that James is writing a letter filled with wisdom from  above. Wisdom from above is generally 180 degrees opposite the world’s wisdom, which values prosperity and position in this life.  

Wisdom from above elevates what God elevates and here we see that God elevates the lowly  brother! He is a child of God and as such, he is blessed with a position and a status and  unfathomable future inheritance, which is eternal and is kept in Heaven for him.  

THE LAST SHALL BE  

Therefore, James says the lowly brother should boast in his exaltation. Though they experience  humiliation, poverty, and neglect in this life, James reminds the lowly brother of the words of Jesus,  who said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The one who  lowered Himself further than anyone else could possibly go, has been exalted to the highest position  in the universe as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He rules over creation in a real place called  heaven. And Paul said in Philippians 3:20 that we are already citizens of Heaven, and we are awaiting  our Savior’s return. Thus, the lowly brother lives in the tension of the “already, not yet.” He banks  on his heavenly citizenship while he awaits the benefits to come. 

Wisdom from above reminds the lowly brother that this life is not all there is. Relative to eternity,  this life is short. In fact, our life is like a vapor in the wind or as James says in 4:14, “…you are a mist  that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” I love the line from Amazing Grace, “When we’ve been there ten  thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we first begun.” It  won’t take long in Heaven to realize how short this life was. And when we first lay eyes on true  riches there, we’ll forget all about whatever we lacked here. In other words, the life of poverty the lowly brothers are enduring won’t last forever. When Jesus returns, there’s going to be a great  reversal. “So the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:16 All the wrongs will be made right. As  Jesus promises in Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,  neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 

But only the one known as a “brother” has any reason to rejoice in this promise of that great  reversal. Implied in that term “brother” is that these people have placed their faith in Christ. They  are “brothers” in Christ. They believed the gospel and were adopted as God’s children. “And if  children,” Paul says in Romans 8:17, “then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” 

The boasting of the lowly brother is not in his lot in life, any more than we take joy for our  suffering. Rather, just as we take joy in the confidence that the Lord is sovereign over our suffering  and uses it to test and strengthen our faith, the lowly brother should have confidence that our Father  is going to fulfill the promises of Jesus – namely that the last will be first and the poor in spirit will  inherit the kingdom of heaven, that they really are co-heirs with Christ, and that God is going to  undo all the pain in the world. 

WHERE AND WHEN DOES YOUR HOPE LIE? 

Poverty is just another form of suffering that tests our faith and proves where and when our hope  lies. When your hope lies in the here and now, you feel the compulsion to do whatever it takes to get  ahead. It’s easy to justify cheating, lying, stealing, false dealing; all in the vain attempt to look out for  number 1. It’s easy to rationalize, “No one else is going to look out for me, so I have to do that. If I  can get ahead, make life better for myself and my family, that’s all that matters.” But wisdom from  above calls not for conniving, it calls for enduring and hoping in the life to come. Thus, the  command is to boast in the “exaltation” that is yet to come.  

Some people because of their life situation find it easier to humble themselves before God than  others. The lowly brother to whom James writes has a humility before the Lord, perhaps because of  his humiliation in life. His circumstances remove all sense of self-sufficiency. Notice that James did not pity them, nor did he encourage them in their commiseration. Rather, he encouraged them to  remember that God will exalt them “in the proper time,” in the words of Peter who said, “Humble  yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you…” 1 Peter 5:6  

The question is who gets to decide when is the “proper time?” If it were up to us, the proper time  would be now. Everyone wants to be exalted now. Everyone wants to have it easy now. We all want  to enjoy the benefits of being God’s children now. Which was really the mentality of the prodigal  son, who represents unbelievers everywhere. Like the prodigal son, we tend to want immediate  gratification, right?  

But James tells the lowly brother to boast in his exaltation, which had not yet come. James wants to  encourage the lowly brother, by reminding them “it’s all gon’ pass.” Their poverty and their 

suffering, their shame and their lowliness is all going to be reversed one day. When it’s reversed it  will never ever go back to what it was before; it’s an eternal reversal. So, lowly brother, rejoice in  your future home and inheritance! Keep your eye on the prize. Boast in your exaltation because in  Christ, it’s as good as done! 

THE RICH SHOULD BOAST IN THEIR HUMILIATION 

Likewise, James exhorts those who have much in this life, to boast…but not the way we’d expect,  saying, 10and the rich in his humiliation… The rich are here commanded to boast in their  humiliation. Again, wisdom from above is 180 degrees opposite of the world’s wisdom. Who boasts  in their humiliation? It’s a paradox. Notice we have to supply something for this to make it make  sense. We have to borrow a term from the previous statement in verse 9. We have to borrow  “boast” because this simply reads “and the rich in his humiliation.” So, we have to borrow “boast” to understand what James is saying to the rich. It would read, “Let the…rich [boast] in his  humiliation.” But I suggest we have to borrow another term to understand the message – that word  is “brother” so that it reads, “Let the…rich [brother boast] in his humiliation.” 

Why does that matter? Here’s why: there’s absolutely no reason for an unbeliever to boast in his  humiliation. There’s no rejoicing in the temporary nature of this life for someone who has no hope  in the life to come. Unbelievers have no reason to rejoice in life after death. All they have to look  forward to is the judgment of a holy God. “Brothers” on the other hand, people who, as we have  established already, are co-heirs with Christ, have great reason to boast in the passing away of their  riches. Why? There are much more riches to come for them. Nothing compares to what lies ahead.  So, I believe James is calling rich people who have put their faith in Christ to boast in their  humiliation. This is paradoxical language. It’s shocking for a purpose. What is that purpose?  

THE FOLLY OF DEPENDING ON WEALTH 

Kurt Richardson points out that, “a shadow of death already hangs over the poor. Their lives are full  of trouble and woe. But the rich bask in the artificial light of the borrowed time their wealth has  bought them.” Yes indeed, artificial light. Solomon, the wealthiest man in the world of his time said,  “A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.” Proverbs 18:11 Wealth  and prosperity have a way of lulling its possessors into a false, or imagined, sense of security. Which  is why Jesus warned rich people of the “the deceitfulness of riches” which stifles spiritual life. (Matthew  13:22) Thus, I believe James intended to shock wealthy Christians into coming to grips with the  foolishness of depending on their wealth.  

Let me read for you a few more things that Jesus said to rich people. But before I do, I want to  remind us all that relative to the rest of human history, you and I are some of the richest and most  prosperous people to ever live. Here’s what Jesus says in Revelation 3:17, “For you say, I am rich, I have  prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Yes, riches  and prosperity have a way of blinding us to our pitiable state and creating in us a false sense of  competency and even morality.  

You might recall the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus asking what he must do to  inherit the kingdom of God. He told Jesus he had kept all the law and the commandments. Can you  imagine having that kind of moral arrogance? Listen to Jesus’ response in Mark 10:21-22, “And  Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, 

and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for  he had great possessions.” Jesus concluded to disciples standing around him, “It is easier for a camel to go  through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25 Perhaps this is why  Paul told Timothy to relay a message to the rich in his church, “As for the rich in this present age, charge  them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with  everything to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17 

It’s not a sin to be wealthy or to have plenty. But it is impossible to serve your wealth and God at  the same time; to find your identity in your wealth and in Christ at the same time. Jesus said, “No one  can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the  other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24 

Jesus, Paul, & James all resound with the same message, “Do trust in your wealth.” Instead, James  says they should boast or rejoice in their humiliation. They should reflect candidly on the fact that  the positions of power and access, of influence and means of acquiring will not continue forever. A  great reversal is coming and those who insist on being first in this short, short life will find  themselves last in the eternal one. This word humiliation is the same word used to describe the  “lowly” brother. The rich Christian is to have the same lowliness of mind as the poor Christian. We  come to Jesus humble, or we do not come at all. As they say, ‘The foot of the cross is level ground.” 

LIKE A FLOWER IN THE SCORCHING HEAT… 

The poor imagine the rich have it easy and have a better lot in life. While I can appreciate that  wealth affords certain comforts, it also brings with it spiritual pride and independence from God and  an artificial self-sufficiency, which are deadly to a person’s faith. James warns the rich to avoid such  pride and to glory and rejoice that without Christ, regardless of their possessions or position, they  are nothing. Afterall, in the grand scheme of things, that’s all they are. James borrows from an Old  Testament proverb found in Isaiah 40 to illustrate this fact in the second part of verse 10 and 11. 

because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching  heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.  

The way a rich Christian can boast in his humiliation is by reminding himself that no matter how  powerful he is, no matter how much he has in terms of buying power or staying power, everything  he owns and loves is like a flower in the scorching heat. It is here one minute and gone the next.  Indeed, his very life is a flower in the scorching heat. No matter how flashy, fancy, or opulent their  flower is, it is not eternal. It will fade and it will fall. The warning to the rich is this: be careful not to  put too much hope in what you cannot take with you.  

…IS THE RICH MAN IN HIS PURSUITS 

The rich are often beguiled by their own wealth, position, and status into believing they are  untouchable, invincible, and will live forever. Nature reveals this is a lie. James resorts to hyperbole  to describe the life of the rich – they pass away like the flower of the grass – it blooms in the  morning and by mid-day the scorching heat withers it up and it dies. So also, James says, is the life  of the rich man. He will fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 

The prospect of losing it all ought to drive the rich man to his knees before the One who holds it all  together. This causes me think of the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12: 16 And he told them a parable,  saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have  nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there  I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many  years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the  things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward  God.” Luke 12:13-21 

Life is vanity. You work hard and you get some success, so you build bigger barns to keep your  abundance, thinking you’ll eat, drink, and be merry, and then you die in the middle of the night.  Notice, that it is not the rich whom Jesus condemns. Afterall, Jesus was the benefactor of the  generosity of several wealthy women who funded his ministry. (cf. Luke 8) Did He need it? Of  course not, the coin in the mouth of the fish proves He didn’t. But He allowed them to use their  wealth to contribute to the kingdom of God. As He does today. No, it is not the rich whom Jesus  condemns, but rather the one who “lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” 

WHAT WE HAVE IS TEMPORAL, WHAT WE HOPE IN IS ETERNAL 

What do we do with this? This is a difficult passage to dissect. Again, it’s not hard to understand  what James said, but it can be so difficult to apply to our lives and actually live by it. I believe what  James intended was to remind everyone, rich and poor, of the temporal nature of their lives and to  exhort them to live with an eternal perspective. What we have in this life, whether in the form of  material prosperity or material lack, is temporal. But what we hope in is eternal.  

To put our hope in that which is temporal is foolish – whether the hope is in what we have obtained, or the hope is in obtaining what we have not. The parable of the rich fool magnifies how  foolish it is for the rich, and poor alike, to place their hope in riches of this world.  

We need to take care to be honest as we evaluate ourselves. I tend to want to compare myself to  people I know who are much wealthier than I and to place myself in the position of “lowly brother.” This allows me to justify selfish tendencies. But I know much of the world is in that position relative  to me and to just about everyone here at Wildwood. So, how do you know whether you’re the lowly  brother who should boast in his exaltation or a rich one who should boast in his humiliation?  Perhaps you’re both and the message is that you ought to give thanks to God for all you have and  use it to elevate others who have less, all the while putting your hope in the treasure that will last  forever.  

IT’S ALL GON’ PASS 

Truth be told, I know I am much more like the rich brother than the lowly one. I know that I enjoy  a comfortable and peaceful life. I know the Lord has blessed me. Today is the 16th anniversary of the  Sunday that Kellye and I submitted our lives to the Lord in ministry at First Baptist Church of Red  Oak, Texas. February 12th, 2006. It was the previous Monday night that Kennedy died and early that  next morning that I was saved. Then that Friday, February 10th, we buried her. I can attest that  material possessions do not aide in your moment of suffering and pale to abject insignificance when  it comes to life and death. Part of my testimony is how wrapped up I was in my riches, and in the 

prospect of gaining more. And that the Lord revealed to me and helped me see clearly how foolish I  had been to hope in those riches. They meant absolutely nothing to me the night Kennedy died. At  the same time, Jesus meant everything to me. I vowed that night and then made it public the next  Sunday that whatever I did in life would be nothing more than a means of ministering in Jesus’  name.  

I am grateful for what I have, and I recognize I have much. But at the same time, I “boast” that the  only thing that matters is not my stuff, but rather how I use my stuff to serve the Lord out of  gratitude for the far superior generosity of His grace that He has shown to a sinner like me. What  about you brother? Rich brother? Lowly brother? In what do you boast? One day it’s all going to go  away…in just a little while, “it’s all gon’ pass.”

James Bibliography 

Calvin, Jean. (1995). Calvin’s New Testament Commentaries: A Harmony of The Gospels: Matthew, Mark and  Luke: And the Epistles of James and Jude. William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. 

Doriani, Daniel M. (2007). Reformed Expository Commentary: James. P&R Publishing.  

Hughes, R. K. (1991). James: Faith that works. Crossway Books.  

MacArthur, John. (1998). The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series: James. Moody Publishers.  

McCartney, Dan G. (2009). Baker Exegetical Commentary: James. Baker Academic.  Moo, Douglas J. (2015). 

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: James. IVP Academic.  Richardson, Kurt A. (1997). 

New American Commentary: James. B&H Publishing.