Read or listen Epistle of James, chapter 5 online (ESV, YouVersion)

Wealth is a good servant but a terrible lord – James 5:1–6

This passage is a serious reminder and a warning about the position of wealth in our lives. Wealth and riches can easily become too important so that they dictate the way of our lives and choices.

The prophets of the Old Testament continuously rebuked the rich. Perhaps the strongest preacher of this topic was Amos (for example Amos 4:1–11). But behind James' words, it is easy to see Jesus' many warnings about the dangers of wealth, e.g. Matthew 6:19-21.

There is one particularly dangerous aspect of being rich: it binds a person. A person imagines that he is living comfortably on his wealth – sometimes even so comfortably that he wants to forget the thought of death (Luke 12:15-21, tonight!). Then, subconsciously, one thinks that life will continue forever. Then there is no longer a heaven to strive for, nor a hell to avoid. The rich man's heaven is a "heaven" on this side - which results in destruction on the other side.

Didn't Jacob know that gold and silver don't rust (verse 3)? Probably yes, but it is more likely that James refers to patina (a thin layer of oxidation on a metal), which is often a sign of not being in use for an extensive period. The gold and silver of the rich has been stored away for a long time, so their shine has dimmed. Instead of storing them, they should have been used to help the poor. Likewise, the clothes of the rich have been unused and therefore become moth-eaten (verse 2), when they should have been given to those who have no clothes (Matt 25:36, 43):

"I was naked and you clothed me,
I was sick and you visited me,
I was in prison and you came to me.
(Matthew 25:36)

"I was a stranger and you did not welcome me,
naked and you did not clothe me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me."
(Matthew 25:43)

Verse 4 shows that wealth is strongly linked to greed - the desire to have for oneself what belongs to another. However, such injustice cries out to heaven. That cry is a call for God to come and judge the wrongdoer (see Mal. 3:5).

Can a Christian be rich?

Luke implies that at least some of Jesus’ disciples were wealthy because they served Jesus with their possessions (Luke 8:3). Wealth in itself is not a sin. Rather, it is a blessing from God (Proverbs 22:4). The problem with wealth is what it is used for and where it leads. It is easy to be like the rich man: his wealth blinded him and he did not see poor Lazarus or remember eternal life (Luke 16:19-31).

But how then should a Christian, the Church, or a Christian organization take care of their finances? Money has its place in the ministry of God’s kingdom. Without money churches would be without heating, missionaries would have to return to their homeland, and so on.

Luther taught that even if the last day comes tomorrow, today he would plant an apple tree. When Jesus has anointed with an expensive oil before he died, he did not rebuke that person, but thanked her (Matt 26:6–13).

Money must be a servant, not a lord. It is good to prepare for the future, and therefore, everything should not be used for today. But what is "letting gold oxidize", what is wise investment for the future. It is difficult to draw the line between them. It is also worth praying for the financial management of congregations and Christian organizations.

Patience will be rewarded in time – James 5:7–11

At times you might hear the claim: “The return of Jesus Christ is spoken of very rarely in the New Testament. It is not so important.” However, that is not true. There are about 300 passages in the New Testament that speak of Jesus' return, that is, on average once per chapter (there are 260 chapters in total)! Paul also spoke of Jesus' return to the wise men of the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:30-31), so it was apparently a very central theme in the proclamation of the early church as well.

The Jews were waiting for "the Day of the Lord", which would be a day of joy for the Jews, but a day of agony and judgment for the Gentiles. The Christian expectation of the Day of Judgment also has this "division": the expectation of judgment and the expectation of joy.

But did James make a mistake when he was waiting for Jesus to return soon (verse 8)? Apostle Peter answers to a similar question in his letter (2 Peter 3:8–9): God does not delay the return of Jesus without a reason, but there is grace behind everything. But at the same time, it must be remembered that God and man have a completely different concept of time.

Therefore, we should not resort to human reasoning, but act like a farmer who sows seed and waits for nature to act in the usual and desired way. In the same way, a Christian must simply trust in God’s promises and their fulfillment. A farmer cannot speed up the ripening of the harvest, and a Christian must submit to God’s timetable. And a Christian does not even know when the harvest will ripen, because only God knows (Matthew 24:36, also note Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:41-48).

Translating the verse 7 is problematic since James only speaks of the “early” and “late”. Translators have done two kinds of “additions” to interpret the text: they have explained the expression as “early and late rains” (perhaps of fall and spring) or “early and late harvest”. Both interpretations are possible, since harvest was gathered in spring and fall in Israel (though the harvest of the fall was not grain as in Egypt, but fruit). The rain seasons were in October during the fall and around March and April in the spring. Both harvests are mentioned in Deut 11:14 which can be the background to the words of James.

Another model of patience is given to us by the Old Testament prophets (cf. Heb. 11:32-38) and Job. Especially from Job we see that although his trials were overwhelming, all became well in the end (Job 42:8–17).

Verse 9 is a reminder that those who judge will be judged themselves (ref. Matt 7:2).

It is worth noting in verse 11 that James says that God is “merciful and gracious.” James knows that the life of a believer in Christ is not perfect, and that we need God’s mercy and grace.

Can a Christian swear an oath? – James 5:12

Some may interpret this verse (and Matt 5:33–37) to mean that a Christian cannot swear any kind of oath. Very close to the words of James is also 2 Cor 1:17–20. But Jesus and James do not speak about a public oath, for example in the official court, but they wanted to forbid private swears. The Jews of that time were known to swear many oaths. They swore by God to make him as a backup to their deeds. This swearing is not right.

The Old Testament requires to swear an oath in particular situations (Ex 22:11). Jeremiah speaks about swearing falsely (Jer 5:2; 7:9), so there must be swearing correctly as well. In fact, some of Apostle Paul’s letters include swearing (for example Gal 1:20; 2 Cor 1:23).

So we can say that a public oath is right, the kind of reassuring of your speech by swearing in the name of the Lord is disgracing his name.

About Prayer – James 5:13–18

As a background to this episode, it is good to know that James was an exemplary prayerful man. His personal righteousness was the reason that the Jews long tolerated him as the leader of the Jerusalem church. Early Christian tradition says that James prayed so earnestly that his knees became like the knees of a camel.

Anointing with oil was used to heal the sick already in the Old Testament (Isa. 1:6). Jesus’ disciples also used it when healing the sick (Mark 6:13, Luke 10:34). However, it is worth noting that James’ main emphasis is on prayer. Prayer is the key to healing.

Some claim that modern medicine has replaced the spiritual gift of healing and praying for the sick. It is indeed true that the development of medicine has been one of the greatest gifts from God to mankind. But at the same time, it is true that medical science still cannot heal every disease. We can ask God for help in this area of ​​life too.

Many people are drawn to God through hardships. Difficulties are also part of the life of Christians. They are by no means a sign of being abandoned by God. Psalm 50:15 is said to be the ”phone number” of God.

“Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you,
and you shall glorify me.”
(Psalm. 50:15)

Again, James takes an example from the Old Testament. Elijah prayed strongly though he was just an ordinary human. Through prayer he had victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 17–18).

Christians cannot be bystanders – James 5:19–20

”Wandering from the truth” can mean either mistakes in doctrine or in moral life. Both can break the connection from man to God. To return a lost one back on the right path is not only the duty of spiritual workers, but a duty of every Christian.

Apostle Paul speaks in Gal 6:1 about restoration:

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."
(Galatians 6:1)

In ancient medicine this Greek word "restore" meant to return a member of the body back to its correct position. This is exactly what Paul refers to. The Christian must be returned where he belongs to – under the will of God.

Verse 20, like Proverbs 10:12 and 1 Peter 4:10, says that love covers a multitude of sins. Some have misunderstood this to mean that good deeds atone for bad deeds. This would be reminiscent of the Islamic concept of salvation: the ratio of good and bad deeds determines your eternal destiny. But these passages should be understood to mean that love “does not count” the number of sins. Jesus loves us, who do not deserve his love. His love covers the multitude of our sins.