"Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?"
There are those who are financially poor, others that are spiritually poor, and still others that are relationally poor. Yet I wonder how we personally view those who are poor in all facets of the word? Do we distance ourselves or draw near? Do we regard them more or less? Or do we place different stigmas/assumptions/expectations on people who are financially poor moreso than spiritually poor?
A more penetrating question might be whether other's poverty is one of the first things we identify them with or whether we see their heart. Because it is easier, for example, to disregard someone panhandling at a traffic light, but would we react the same way if we knew their heart and true intentions? Moreover, would we conversely give someone who is rich the benefit of the doubt if they expressed a financial need?
The point James is making is to discern the heart, not the superficial, public exterior (rich or poor). Because there are those in the world financially poor but spiritually rich, and those who are financially rich and spirituality poor. Therefore we are not to concern ourselves one iota with monetary success or failure. The heart is the only thing that matters, and we must discern intent based on the character of a man, not his economic status. Moreover, we are to examine our own hearts first and foremost and ensure our personal focus is spiritually rich with the righteousness of Christ rather than shallow, self-serving and poor in spirit. Only then will we avoid the pitfalls James identifies and strengthen the church.
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