Whereas Jesus may have literally flipped the tables in the Gospels, James flips the spiritual tables of our lives.
And … he hits us where it hurts the most: our pocketbooks.
This week, as we take a look at James 1:9-11, we get into what James has to say about being rich and poor and who is elevated as a result.
The Bottom Line: the riches of this life pass away but the poor can exult in their elevation.
“And let the lowly brother exult in his elevation, But the rich man in his abasement, because he will pass away like a flower in the grass; For the sun rose with a scorching heat and withered the grass, and its flower fell away, and the loveliness of its face perished; thus also will the rich man fade away amid his undertakings.” (James 1:9-11 David Bentley Hart)
“Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position. But the rich person’s pride should be in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a wildflower in the meadow. For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever.” (James 1:9-11 NETS)
“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 way with the rich; in the midst of a busy life, they will wither away.” (James 1:9-11 NRSV)
Καυχάσθω δὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὁ ταπεινὸς ἐν τῷ ὕψει αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου παρελεύσεται. ἀνέτειλεν γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν τῷ καύσωνι καὶ ἐξήρανεν τὸν χόρτον, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσεν καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἀπώλετο· οὕτως καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐν ταῖς πορείαις αὐτοῦ μαρανθήσεται. (James 1:9-11)
Its always a pleasure to read your homilies Fr. Dustin