Daily Bible Readings-Week 3
Starter Question
What is something you value highly, and why?
September 20
James 1:9-11, Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
In these verses, James gives us a practical illustration of how a believer, using God’s gift of wisdom, can consider their trials as pure joy. This requires spiritual insight above and beyond that which we can naturally acquire.
Those who have been scattered away from Jerusalem by persecution have found themselves in financially poor conditions. As we will see in other Scriptures this week, those who are described as rich are not being condemned because they have wealth but because they are poor stewards and are unjust in their dealings with the poor.
Believers in these poor circumstances should actually see where they are seated. Paul describes it for us in Ephesians 2:6 that they are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Think about what this means. This is the highest position in the universe! This is reason to think joyfully!
In comparison, those who are poor stewards of wealth and yet applauded for their exalted earthly exploits should, actually, recognize they are in the most-lowly position. If they are Christians, they should stop focusing on their wealth and focus on their identification with Jesus. If they are non-Christians, then it speaks of their judgment that is to come unless they change their ways.
The wealthy should remember that riches are fleeting and not find comfort or hope in them. Christianity turns worldly values on their head—exalting the humble and humbling the exalted.
Question to Consider:
How does thinking of your highly exalted position as being seated with Christ adjust your thinking about what you are to most value in this world?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 2:12-13, Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
September 21
James 2:1-4, My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
James continues the rich/poor theme with a conversation concerning favoritism. He clearly admonishes believers not to show special attention to the sharp dresser over the one poorly clothed.
James repeats what Jesus often spoke about in elevating oneself or others based on social standing. Jesus said that one should not take the most prized seat or put oneself first. Instead, choose the less prominent seat at a party and last place in line, and you just may get moved up to a better place. That would be far better than being asked to leave your prized position for a less desirable one.
Judging others based on external appearance reminds me of Samuel who observed Jesse’s sons by their outward appearance in order to select and anoint one of them as the next king of Israel. However, God said “No” to each of his choices. It was the young shepherd boy David that God had his eye on. We learn from that story that we have a tendency to look at the outward appearance while God looks at the heart, the very essence of who we are.
James says in discriminating for the rich over the poor is to do so with evil in mind. Discrimination involving social status, skin color, gender, or nationality is not holy and pleasing to the Lord. The Apostle Paul said in the midst of our many differences, when we put on Christ Jesus, we are all one. Jesus levels the playing field for everyone.
Questions to Consider:
When have we been judged by our outward appearance for good or ill? When do we make judgments of others based on outward appearance?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 2:12-13, Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
September 22
James 2:5-7, Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?
James is dumbfounded that these Christ-followers would discriminate in favor of the rich. These are the very unbelieving wealthy who were giving the poor Christians all kinds of trouble. Above all, they blasphemed the holy name of God.
It is, generally, true that the materially poor seem to have less obstacles to overcome in becoming people of faith who love the Lord. They can more easily accept that inheritance in God’s glorious eternal kingdom is far greater than any temporal inheritance they might receive in this world.
Repeatedly, we find in Scripture that the poor, not the rich, rally to Christ. On one occasion Jesus looked at his disciples and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”
It was the common people who welcomed Jesus gladly. It was the weak, the despised, and the insignificant who followed Jesus. There are exceptions like Zacchaeus and Joseph of Arimathea who appeared to be wealthy but trusted in Christ.
To show favoritism towards the unbelieving wealthy and to discriminate against the believing poor is to dishonor what God honors. We must guard against diminishing the poor for they often are the very fertile ground for faith to grow.
Let us be brutally honest with ourselves and admit: the more we have, the more vigilant we must be in guarding our hearts against creating idols and trusting in the wealth and stuff we have accumulated.
Questions to Consider:
What kind of stuff has a tendency to grab your attention? How are we guarding our hearts against trusting in earthly resources in order to maintain a pure devotion to our Lord Jesus?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 2:12-13, Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
September 23
James 2:8-13, If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
In continuing the conversation, James says discrimination in favor of those who have wealth is sin just as murder or adultery is. Even though it may seem minor in comparison to others, it still causes us to be a lawbreaker.
We need to understand that God’s law, as is God’s word, reflects the very person of God Himself. If we break any of His commands, we fall short of God’s holy and perfect will, and are sinners.
The royal law of Scripture, “to love your neighbor as yourself,” was to be the pattern of life in the kingdom of God. It demands that one love both rich and poor alike. Jesus spoke of it in His conversation concerning the greatest of the commandments and even strengthened it as He said that His followers were to love one another as He loved them.
Through grace and the Holy Spirit, we are given power to live this royal law. We do not do so in order to be saved, but because we are saved, we want to show the generous love of Jesus to others.
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, we will be rewarded or suffer loss according to this standard. It will not be a question of the destination of our eternity but of our reward in eternity.
The expression, “speak and act,” says that both profession of faith and daily life should be in sync. So, the way we speak about and treat others, especially showing mercy to the poor, reveals how we have experienced God’s mercy through his gift of salvation.
Question to Consider:
What are ways you speak and act in mercy revealing you have the redeeming love of Christ within you?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 2:12-13, Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
September 24
James 5:1-6, Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on 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 workers 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 the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
James increases his intensity in denouncing wealthy non-Christians who are mistreating believers and gives us insight into the sins they committed. They hoarded wealth when others were in need. They unjustly refused to pay their employees for the work accomplished. They lived in extreme luxury without a thought of anyone else’s needs.
By doing all of these things, James says, in essence, they have “condemned and murdered the innocent.” They have robbed others from the ability to make a living by being obsessed with the accumulation of wealth at any cost for their own self-indulgent purposes.
Their sin was not being rich but being selfish and unjust stewards of what they had. They were judged because they had failed the test of common decency, let alone, the deeper Christian ethic.
Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Questions to Consider:
Where do you struggle with this teaching? Where is your heart? How do you envision yourself storing up treasures in heaven?
Weekly Memory Verse:
James 2:12-13, Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.