SERMON: “Warning to the Wealthy” (James 5:1–6)
“Warning
to the Wealthy” (James 5:1–6)
Series: “James: True Faith Works” #22 Text: James 5:1–6
By: Shaun Marksbury Date:
March
23, 2025
Venue: Living
Water Baptist Church Occasion:
PM Service
I.
Introduction
Recently, in the news, there have been warnings of an
oligarchy, of rule by the rich. This is
a concern, though the left-leaning media primarily means it as an attack
against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. It’s
hypocritical to decry an oligarchy as money has moved Washington for
years. In Congress, over half of
lawmakers are millionaires, even though only around 6% of our population is and
none of them earn anywhere near that.
The current outrage over an “oligarchy” from Democrat politicians rings
hollow, especially when many billionaires like Soros heavily bankroll their
causes.
Yet, again, there is an issue for us to consider. When both parties rely heavily on an elite
donor class, it creates a system where wealth shapes policy regardless of who’s
in power. The wealthy can use this
influence for good or for evil. When
waste and corruption hit the news, it’s the taxpayer that must fit the
bill. If the wealthy person has a
politician and a judge in his pocket, he can ensure that practically any pet
policy can get passed.
Last time, we talked about those Christians who make
presumptuous plans — those who seek profit without concern for the Lord’s will
in their lives. We spoke of the
foolishness of hoarding wealth when our life is but a vapor. The thoughts today continue from there.
To be clear, James isn’t providing an anthem for class
warfare. Scripture doesn’t condemn
wealth as inherently wrong; it can be a blessing from God (Prov. 10:22). But when wealth becomes a tool for oppression,
as it did for some in the first-century church, God takes notice.
These rich oppressors, whether inside or outside the church,
face judgment. Tonight, we’ll explore
this passage under two headings: first, the call to the rich to reassess (vv.
1–3), and second, the call to the rich to repent (vv. 4–6). Let’s pray and dive into God’s Word. Let’s consider the first of these.
II.
First, the Call to the Rich to Reassess (vv. 1–3)
Come now, you
rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have
become moth-eaten. Your gold and your
silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will
consume your flesh like fire. It is in
the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
James begins like an Old Testament call to the rich. The phrase “Come now” echoes his earlier call
in 4:13 to those making presumptuous plans.
The NIV translates it “Now listen!” which is an excellent rendering. As one commentary notes, “In the spirit of
the Old Testament prophets, James pronounces judgment on employers who treat
their employees unjustly (Is. 3:14, 15; 10:2). God will judge those who oppress the poor (see
Ezek. 18:12, 13);”[1] this
is a prophetic call against the rich.
The question is who the rich are. It’s very possible that he’s referring to
believers. Some don’t know this, but it
is possible for a rich person can be a Christian. Some quote Jesus’s
words in Matthew 19:24 as a sign that it’s impossible to be a wealthy Christian;
“Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” But that came in the context of a culture
that believed wealth was a sign of God’s eternal blessing; Jesus is saying that
it is impossible for anyone to be saved on their own, “but with God all things
are possible” (vv. 25–26). No one is
saved because they have wealth or because they lack it — we become Christians solely
on God’s grace.
We see that both here in James as well as the other
epistles. In James 1:10, he urged rich
Christians to glory in their humility, and Paul similarly instructed wealthy
believers in 1 Timothy 6:17–19 to be rich in good deeds. Scripture elsewhere does say elsewhere that
riches is a blessing from God (Prov. 10:22).
Wealth can be an important contribution to the kingdom of God, and we
thank God for those believers rich and poor who generously give.
Yet, Scripture also warns the rich broadly. For instance, Jesus pronounced “woe” to those
who find their comfort in wealth alone (Luke 6:24–25). Later, Paul also cautioned against the love of
money (1 Tim. 6:9–10). So, we must
understand that wealth is a tool, not an idol.
Believers will understand this more than unbelievers, who also
are likely the target of James’s words here.
We know some Christians were trying to impress the rich unbelievers in
chapter 2, ignoring that they oppress believers and blaspheme Christ (vv.
6–7). There are also rich unbelievers who attend church. As one study
notes, these “are the wicked wealthy who profess Christian faith and have
associated themselves with the church, but whose real god is money.”[2] Some scholars note that James doesn’t call
them “brothers” here, as he does elsewhere (e.g., 1:2; 2:1), suggesting he may be
targeting outsiders.
Perhaps those unbelieving rich fellows are listening in on
James’ words. If so, they’ll be
receiving a heavy dose of condemnation that will hopefully drive them to the
grace of Christ for the first time. Thus,
he unleashes a prophetic call upon them: “Weep and howl.”
This passage expands on that thought by reminding believers
of the truth. This paints a picture of
loud, anguished lament, like the wailing of the wicked under judgment in Isaiah
13:6 or Ezekiel 21:12. Why? James predicts a coming judgment. Those who sow to the flesh will reap a foul
harvest (see vv. 5, 7–11).
He says “miseries” are coming — divine judgment looms. Scripture has warnings against the rich. Jesus said, “But woe to you who are rich, for
you are receiving your comfort in full.
Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to
you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep” (Luke 6:24–25). Christians are likewise to beware the snare
of wanting to be rich; “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and
a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is a
root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from
the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:9–10). We must see the miseries, the problems, that
can come with more money
Some, though, exult in their earthly treasures, bringing us
to the next verse; James continues, “Your riches have rotted and your garments
have become moth-eaten.” He shifts to vivid imagery: wealth rotting and fine
clothes devoured by moths. In the
ancient world, food, clothing, and precious metals signaled prosperity.[3] Yet, James declares their futility; the moth
destroys silently and unseen, and it will not distinguish between a Million
Dollar Dandy and a K-Mart special. As Jesus warned in Matthew 6:19: “Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy.” Proverbs 18:11 calls wealth a “strong city” in
a rich man’s imagination, but the walls come tumbling down. Job even compares a man’s life to a garment
that is moth-eaten (Job 13:28), so we must count our days and our blessings.
Wealth can vanish in an instant; as one commentator notes, “Witness
the 250 ‘lost millionaires’ in the United States in 1931 as compared with 1929.
Riches have wings.”[4] Even if you could hold on to riches, it would
bring you no satisfaction; as Ecclesiastes 5:10 warns, “He who loves money will
not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is
vanity.” Consider the following quotes:
- John D. Rockefeller, a
Christian millionaire, said, “I have made many millions, but they have
brought me no happiness. I would
barter them all for the days I sat on an office stool in Cleveland and
counted myself rich on three dollars a week.” Broken in health, he
employed an armed guard.
- W. H. Vanderbilt said,
“The care of 200 million dollars is too great a load for any brain or back
to bear. It is enough to kill anyone. There is no pleasure in it.”
- John Jacob Astor left five
million, but had been martyr to dyspepsia and melancholy. He said, “I am the most miserable man on
earth.”
- Henry Ford, the automobile
king, said, “Work is the only pleasure. It is only work that keeps me
alive and makes life worth living. I was happier when doing a mechanic’s
job.”
- Andrew Carnegie, the
multi-millionaire, said, “Millionaires seldom smile.”[5]
The rotting process isn’t just limited to the wealth, as the
next verse indicates. James says, “Your
gold and silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and
will consume your flesh like fire. It is
in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” The word for “rust” is “poison” in James 3:8
and “venom” in Romans 3:13; this makes sense (the “poison” of metal is
rust). The Jews had an allegorical way of talking about gold and silver
rusting from non-use, even though these metals do not naturally tarnish, and
there is a way to force them to rust through chemical means. In this sense, the word might have more than
one application — the “poison” corrodes and tarnishes the gold and silver, and
the gold and silver can poison the owner.
It’s not just decay; it’s evidence in God’s courtroom. The idea of an object bearing testimony
against another is in Mark 6:11 and Luke 9:5, where Jesus told His
disciples to shake the dust off their feet as a witness against those who don’t
receive them. His disciples were not to become hostile; they were only to
trust in the coming judgment of God. Those
who place their trust in corruptible riches should take notice: their souls are
just as corrupted. This rust “will
consume your flesh like fire” — a chilling image of judgment (cf. Isa.
10:16–17; Matt. 13:42).
The phrase “in the last days” anchors this warning. Cf. vv. 7–8, “Therefore be patient, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the
soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts,
for the coming of the Lord is near.” Why
does the rich man hoard his wealth? It serves as his safety net
in times of trouble. Yet, the greatest woe approaches, and his material
goods will burn with his soul.
We must examine our hearts. Understand that the Bible does not forbid the
Christian from gaining wealth; we need money. Paul lists three ways in
which we can use money: first, as a means of meeting basic needs (1 Tim. 6:8), second,
as a blessing for our enjoyment (v. 17), and third, for the blessing of others
through our generosity (v. 18). However, the wealthy person in this text
places his hope in his wealth, which can disappear as easily as it came.
One of the most misquoted verses in Scripture is 1 Timothy 6:10,
which says, “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by
longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with
many griefs.” Paul identified many who professed to be believers — who made
confessions of faith, got baptized, and joined churches— but who, in the end, loved money more than
God. The poison of wealth is not the
money itself, but the idolatry of money.
We also see the evil that was wrought by lovers of money, which is what we
see next.
III.
Second, the Call to the Rich to Repent (vv. 4–6)
Behold, the pay of
the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries
out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have
lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have
fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the
righteous man; he does not resist you.
James names the injustices and oppression of the rich. First, they were exploiting workers,
withholding wages. The literal term is
that they “defrauded.” This is an
example of oppression believers can experience.
It is against the Law of God, which says, “You shall not oppress your
neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain
with you all night until morning” (Lev. 19:13; see also Deut. 24:14–15). These laborers, likely day workers needing
daily bread, are cheated. Their pay “cries
out,” echoing Abel’s blood in Genesis 4:10 or Israel’s groans in Exodus 2:23 — both
pleas God heard.[6] Though someone may not consider himself “rich,”
this applies to anyone with power over another.
Consider the warning here: This injustice reaches “the ears
of the Lord of Sabaoth.” This term “Sabaoth”
is from the Hebrew word for “hosts,” so the Jewish readers would immediately
think “Adonai Sabaoth” or “Yahweh Sabaoth.”
This depicts God as commander of heaven’s armies (Ps. 24:10), and He’s
not a deaf commander. He will defend the
oppressed (Mal. 3:5). Therefore, while
there is time, those who do not pay or treat others justly must repent.
Yet, James continues to tell them why they must repent in
the next verse. In folly, “You have
lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have
fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” Three verbs escalate the charge: First, they
have “lived luxuriously,” suggesting a soft, extravagant life — like the rich
man who ignoring Lazarus (Luke 16:19). Second,
they “led a life of wanton pleasure,” meaning “self-indulgence” (LSB, ESV);
Paul uses the term of some women who now don’t have husbands and need
assistance because of wanton living, “dead even while she lives” (1 Tim. 5:6).
The third term is more picturesque. It’s “fattened,” and it likens the rich to
cattle. They are fattening their hearts
for “a day of slaughter.” This evokes divine
judgment (Jer. 12:3; 25:34). Like Belteshazzar,
they feast while destruction nears.
Understand that this isn’t just about the ultra-wealthy. Even America’s poor often live better than
ancient kings. We’re all tempted to
indulge. While the wealthy can obviously
do this more than the rest of us, we all must take notice, lest we fatten our
own hearts for the slaughter.
You might wonder why such a strong condemnation is necessary
here, but that becomes clear in the next verse.
James says, “You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he
does not resist you.” The rich “condemned”
— perhaps in courts (cf. 2:6) — and put to death or “murdered” (LSB) the
innocent (NIV) Christians. Murder is a
serious charge!
Did James mean this literally or metaphorically? Perhaps this is a reference back to 4:2, murder
of the heart. This could also be through
the lack of wages. In the Apocrypha,
Sirach 34:21–22, there is a teaching that depriving one’s neighbor of a living
is murdering him, so some Jews believed this at this time. Thus, just by withholding wages, the rich are
guilty of murder. Yet, it could also
refer to a literal and unjust use of authority, for using the courts unjustly
to execute someone is also murder.
James adds to their condemnation here. He says that the righteous one “does not
resist.” He’s helpless to resist! This amplifies the crime.
As William Barclay writes, “What began as greed ends in
insensitivity to murder.” The
progression is clear: hoarding, fraud, indulgence, and now violence. God’s judgment is certain, so the guilty must
repent before it’s too late.
IV.
Conclusion
Again, this passage isn’t a blanket condemnation of wealth. Instead, it’s a call to reassess and repent. Wealth can fund God’s work or fuel our ruin. No one can serve two masters (Matt. 6:24).
In these last days, as Christ’s return nears (vv. 7–8),
where’s your hope? In rotting riches or
the living Lord? If we are poor, we may seek
riches as an answer — the weekly scratch-off, or those special numbers that may
hit the multi-million dollar jackpot one day. Maybe we seek to play the
field by currying favor with as many affluent individuals as possible.
Or, perhaps, we look for that one, marketable idea that will launch a
dream business. Whether you are rich or poor, don’t place your hope in
something that will eventually end.
[1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne
House, The Nelson Study Bible: New King
James Version, (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), Jas 5:1–6.
[2] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1933.
[3] Radmacher, The
Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Jas 5:2–3.
[4] A. T. Robertson, Word
Pictures in the New Testament, (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Jas
5:2.
[5] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia
of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible
Communications, Inc.
[6] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Jas 5:4.
