James Chapter 5 — Commentary and Notes on Verse 1

    Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.

    Before I come to the particular verses of this paragraph, it will be necessary to consider the people it refers to, for it seems strange that anyone going under the name of a Christian could be so vile as to oppress and persecute his brothers, even to death, condemning and killing innocent men (verse 6), dragging them into court (2:6), etc. Briefly, then, though the main part of the letter concerns the godly, and the principal purpose is their instruction and comfort, James often takes occasion to speak to the ungodly and unconverted among them. The ancient holy seed was now down to the dregs, guilty of oppression, injury, and all manner of profanity; and because these people lived dispersed and intermingled with the godly and those who had been won to the Christian faith, he takes the opportunity to speak to them in this diversion. To show you that this is no uncertain conjecture, let me produce my reasons:

    (1)      James addresses his whole letter tothetwelvetribes (1:1) in general, without any express mention of their holy calling or faith, which is usual in the older apostolic letters.

    (2)      He uses the common form of greeting—just Greetings. When writing to Christians, the apostles solemnly wish them “grace and peace,” etc.

    (3)      The style is more rousing and persuasive than usual, as if it were intended to awaken complacent sinners or worldly people.

    (4)      The last verses of the letter seem to intimate that much of his purpose was to convert unbelievers; see 5:19-20.

    (5)      Here he plainly speaks to rich, wicked men, though the truth is that it is not so much for their sakes as for the godly, to encourage them to patience. I like Calvin’s assessment very much, that these six verses are not so much an admonition as a denunciation, in which the apostle is not so much telling them what to do as foretelling what will be done to them, so that the godly may be encouraged to greater patience under their oppression. The apostle plainly implies this in verse 7.

    I have spent a long time on this preface, but I hope you will judge it necessary, as it helps to explain not only this paragraph but also many other passages in the letter.

    From the whole verse we may learn that we must not concern ourselves only with believers, but that we must give unbelievers their due—terror to those who deserve terror, as well as comfort to those who deserve comfort. Christ’s sermon chiefly aimed at the disciples’ benefit, but there were also many lessons for the crowds: “Now, when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside … His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2)—the disciples listened within the people’s hearing. And James intersperses many things that are of general usefulness.

    Now listen. The phrase is a kind of call to the throne of God’s judgment.

    Yourichpeople. He is not simply threatening rich people but those who are described afterwards—worldly rich people, drowned in pleasures, puffed up with pride—worldly, wicked, oppressive. And though he uses the word rich, the threat applies not only to those who abuse their wealth but also to those who abuse their greatness, public position, authority, power—such as princes, judges, magistrates, and their officers.

    Because the apostle is speaking indefinitely, yourichpeople, it is notable that it is hard to possess riches without sin. Riches are called “worldly wealth” (Luke 16:9) because such wealth is usually possessed by wicked people, and because it is most adored and admired by wicked people, and because it is often gotten by unrighteous actions and hardly kept without sin. It is hard to have riches and not be hindered from heaven by them (Matthew 19:24), to not grow proud, sensual, injurious, and worldly. We see animals, such as boars and bulls, when they are full and in good condition, grow fierce and dangerous to man; in the same way, people get insolent when they enjoy abundance.

    So then, do not covet riches so much or please yourselves in the enjoyment of them; but look to your hearts with all the more care. It is easy to offend in the midst of outward fullness. A long coat will soon get bedraggled and turn into a dirty rag, and a short one will not cover nakedness; something in between is best. Consider Agur’s choice when he said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches.… Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’” (Proverbs 30:8-9). No state of life so begets contempt of God as a luxurious fullness.

    But you will say, “What do you want us to do? Throw away our estates?” I answer no, but:

    (1)      Prize them less; when you possess them, do not let them possess you. Shall I value unrighteous worldliness as the lot of God’s people? No; let me rather seek the favor of God upon his people (see Psalm 106:4-5). You cannot know love and hatred by everything that is in front of you. Riches are given to the good in case they should be thought evil and to the bad in case we should think them the only and most important good.

    (2)      Do more good. Duties performed in the face of difficulty are all the more commendable: “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves” (Luke 16:9). Such wealth is usually the occasion of sin; make it the occasion of duty. The more liable we are to sin in any state, the more commendable in every way is the duty of that state.

    (3)      Seek God all the more earnestly for grace. When you are full, you need it much. It is not absolutely impossible for a rich person to go to heaven. Poor Lazarus rests there in the arms of Abraham, who had been rich in this world. God can loosen the heart from the world, so that riches will be no impediment to hinder you from heaven. Whatever difficulties we are told of on the way to heaven, they serve only to make us despair of our own strength and abilities (Matthew 19:26).

    Weepandwail. This refers to the sorrow of man or or rational creatures and so indicates how dreadful the calamity would be—it would make them howl like wolves. Wailing is a sign of great grief—overburdened nature trying to give vent to its sorrow. Some people find an allusion here to their having lived like animals, like hounds and wolves, and here being told to howl like beasts; but this may be too strained. What we must ask is whether this is said here by way of advice or as threatening divine vengeance.

    Some people think it is advice, as if James wants them to prevent their judgment by godly sorrow. The truth is, this is the way to escape judgments, by mourning for them before they come. After heavy showers the air is clear. It is better to weepandwail by way of duty than because of judgment. There will be weeping and wailing hereafter, but it will be of no use.

    But I prefer to look on these words as a threatening and denunciation of judgment rather than as advice or an invitation to repent. This is partly because the prophets usually utter their threats in an imperative form, especially when they want to emphasize the sureness of judgment, as if it has already come, as in the words weepandwail here. The prophets do this to check the present complacency and jollity of the people they are speaking to: see Isaiah 15 and 16, Jeremiah 48:36, etc. Partly I prefer this interpretation because our apostle seems to cut off all hope from them: becauseofthemiserythatiscominguponyou, he says—not “in case misery comes on you.” And partly I prefer it because his main drift is to speak to the poor Christians, that they might be all the more patient under the oppression of these great men, showing that their prosperity would not last forever.

    Note1. Many people who frolic away their days have more cause to weepandwail. “Now listen

    …”; that is, you are merry and sensual and dream of nothing but golden days, without the least thought of the misery that is hastening upon you. After fine weather comes the storm, and when the wind is still heavy rain falls. Those who were to go into captivity first had their merry banquets (Amos 6:1-7). So then, learn that it is not those who have the least trouble who are in the happiest state but those who humanly have least cause.

    Note2. Riches and outward pleasures are a sorry ground for rejoicing. This is a joy that may end in sorrow; the rich are called to wail. When rich people are troubled, we ask what is wrong with them. But the judgment of God and of the world are contrary; his thoughts are not like your thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8). The world thinks no one has more cause to rejoice than the rich, and God thinks no one have more cause to mourn. So then, think about the reason for your rejoicing: “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Psalm 94:19). Christians should expect their contentment to increase and can be sure their comforts are the sort that come from God. What a difference there is between David and the worldly fool in the Gospel! David tells his soul to “hope … in God” because of “the help of his countenance” (see Psalm 42:5, KJV). And the fool says to himself, “eat, drink and be merry.” On what ground? “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years” (Luke 12:19).

    Note3. There is nothing but woe for them, as if they were past hope and counsel and only left to terror and threatening. James had said, Nowlisten before, to the ambitious businessmen (4:13). But he was instructing them, whereas here he is simply threatening the rich. Rich sinners are the most incurable. The reason is that prosperity gives rise to complacency. “Ephraim boasts, ‘I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin’” (Hosea 12:8). Because they were rich, they were not aware of their subtle wiles. Besides, these are seldom faithfully reproved; and when they are, such persons are most unwilling to bear the reproof. They storm at it, as if their greatness will get them off. “‘I will go to the leaders and speak to them …’ But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds” (Jeremiah 5:5). The meaning here is that they had thrown off all manner of respect and subjection to God’s law. So then, you who have great estates, beware of these two things: complacency in sin, and storming at the reproofs of sin.

    Becauseofthemiserythatiscominguponyou. What is this? Partly great affliction in this life, partly hell-torment in the life to come; both may be understood.

    (1)      Christ foretold the temporal misery that happened to Jerusalem (Luke 19:43-44); this happened about forty years after his ascension. Then there were the calamities that happened to the Jews everywhere they were scattered, especially in Alexandria, a city where four out of ten Jews lived, and yet they were ransacked and by Flaccus’ command forced into a small part of the city without food or fresh air, where they were not able to move for one another; and if any strayed out of that place, they were knocked down and killed. Many were choked to death in a fire when their oppressors lacked the fuel to burn them outright. Thirty-eight of their counselors and rich men were sent for, dragged through the streets, scourged to death, etc. This may be part of what James meant.

    (2)      Hell-torment, which is indeed misery to come. The others are just foretastes of what the rich man in the Gospel felt in the flames (see Luke 16:24).

    Dreadful misery and judgment will come upon wicked rich people: wail because of the misery… You will not be miserable as a murderer or a fornicator (Salvian comments) but as a rich person, because you misused your wealth, or at least did not use it for God’s glory. See what a list of threats there is against the rich: “Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep…” (Luke 6:24-25). “Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land” (Isaiah 5:8). It is notable that in both these passages words are used that merely imply riches, though it is the worldly man that is meant, who places all his delight, love, care, confidence, and glory in his riches.

    Much is entrusted to the rich; they have more opportunities and obligations to do good than others, and yet usually they have the least heart and therefore are called to a more severe account in this world and the world to come. Sometimes God reckons with them in this world; in all change, rich people have the greatest proportion of calamity. The winds shake the tallest cedars most. God loves to tear down the strong oaks (Amos 2:9). But in the world to come they sadly come to know what it is to have wealth only in this world. God will not give you a double heaven. Who would risk eternal hell for temporal heaven? So if there is any worldly, wicked, rich man reading this today, Listen…weepandwailbecauseofthemiserythatiscominguponyou. You will say, “We do no harm with our wealth.” No, but what good do you do? Mothshaveeatenyourclothes (verse 2), and your wealth has rusted; you are wretched and worldly, negligent in religion, not bothering to devote what you have to good uses; and anyone … who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

    So also the poor may learn from this passage not to envy worldly pomp and glory. A little with righteousness is a greater blessing, and a pledge of more; all the great treasure of the rich brings only trouble and a curse (see Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 15:16). Your little may bring you more comfort than if all the stores of the wealthy were heaped together and given to you. These are principles that are only relished by people of a mortified and contented mind.