"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you." (James 5:1-6)
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Warning to the Wealthy
I guess the rich and powerful continue to fall into the same passions and pursuits throughout the ages.
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I've been reflecting on this passage a bit, trying to understand it better and apply it to my life. I think one of the greatest dangers of wealth is that we might become reliant upon it, unconsciously trusting in it for our salvation. Thus, when the stock market drops or we see rust devouring our gold, our whole world can collapse, a cause for weeping and wailing indeed. And this is a danger not only for those with lots of money, but even those of us with relatively little. On the other hand, the man whose faith is in Christ Jesus can weather such storms, knowing how to live in plenty or in poverty, as St. Paul points out.
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