James: The Rich Serving the Poor

I didn't remember just how much James had to say about the rich and the poor (James 1:9-11, 26-27; 2:1-7, 14-17; 5:1-6). James 1:9-11 leaped out at me today:

9 But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away.

How is a poor man in a high position? And how is a rich man in humiliation? And why should they glory in their positions? As Alice would say, "Curiouser and curiouser."

There are brethren in Zimbabwe who are literally dirt poor. They have no high position...at least on earth. And that's the point. GOD puts them in a high position in His kingdom. God does not distinguish by class, race, sex, or any physical trait. The poor man will sit on a throne as high as any rich man when we enter into eternal life.

Those who minister to the Zimbabwe brethren are rich, at least in comparison. We are rich! And yet, we are to glory in our humiliation. We are to revel in the fact that we are not one bit better than our poor brethren. In fact, God has given us a greater responsibility to serve those brethren, to place ourselves in a lower place. What a great opportunity!

We all will fade away shortly. Let's serve each other while we have the chance.

God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Galatians