The Rich (James 1:9-11)

⁹ Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. ¹⁰ But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹ 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.

James introduces an important theme here: that of the reversal of fortunes of the rich and the poor in God’s kingdom. As Jesus taught, the first shall be last and the last first: those who have much in this life will lose it while those who have little (from the point of view of material goods) will be rewarded. Paradoxically, James tells each group to boast about their position in the Christian community. The poor can brag about their equality in the community and the exalted position they will have in the kingdom of heaven. By accepting Jesus, the rich have discovered their true status as children of God and that their wealth will not last. Therefore, they can boast about the humility they have learned.

James, like Jesus, teaches that true treasure is not to be found on earth but in heaven, in our relationship with God and other persons. The rich must give up any idea of self-sufficiency and accept their dependence on God. In this way, they can move toward God’s truth and justice. The poor, on the other hand, are especially loved by God – the Bible states this (both the Old and New Testaments) over and over again – and they can rejoice in this knowledge and in their future reward.

This passage finishes on the rich who, since they generally put their trust in earthly treasures, will themselves fade away. James compares them to wild flowers that will die in the heat of the sun. James clearly has little sympathy for the rich, but their future reversal of fortune is not his main point. Instead, he wants us to focus on where we place our trust: is it in the things of this world or in God? He will develop this idea over the rest of the letter.