James in chapter 5, verses 1-6 is tough love. He says, “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.” Tough words. Tough love.
James didn’t stutter or stumble. He didn’t mince words. He speaks truth. He tells us straight out about what terrible consequences we will endure if we become so comfortable in our wealth that we become complacent, we ignore the needs of the poor, and worse, if we think we’re so rich we don’t need God. Moses warned us about this, too, in Deuteronomy 8: 12-14, “lest, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built fine houses and lived in them, your silver and gold has increased, and all your property has increased, you then become haughty of heart and forget the LORD, your God.”
He goes on to say it won’t go well for us if we forget God, if we stop seeking first His kingdom and instead, we go so far as to withhold wages (alms) from the workers (the poor). Benjamin Franklin said it this way, “A full belly is the mother of all evil.”
What obstacles does money put before you, causing you to sin and hindering your bringing God’s love and compassion to others? Eliminate them. Mark’s Gospel tells us that if something causes us to sin, to cut it out (Mk 9:43-48). How? By putting God first – first in our hearts, and first in our finances. Invest your wealth in the needs of the poor – the incorruptible treasures of heaven. St. Augustine is known to have said, “God has no need of your money. But the poor have. Give to the poor and you give to God.”
Give to help the poor. Doing so is like giving a cup of cold water to those who belong to Christ (Mk 9:41). Doing so allows God to use you as a vessel of His mercy.
Photo Credit: Robert Davis
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