James 5:1-11 NKJV
5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
The focus of the Church is the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ crucified. Because of a believer’s on-going struggle with his old nature, however, Christians can forget this sometimes. They can be duped into focusing on personalities, entertainment, activities, institutions, works, fights, spectacles, etc. But, by abiding in His Word, our Lord teaches us that we are to focus on His Word, His commands, and His Gospel. All the other things must serve the focus of the Gospel properly — and certainly not replace it.
The work of helping and comforting those who have various needs is an important part of our vocation as Christ’s people, but when we do it we should remember the words of St. James. Our prayers and our works should be guided by the Lord’s will, and His will is to save souls from the death of their sins. Sometimes the sick will get better, other times they will not. Sometimes suffering will pass, sometimes it will get worse. In all things our words and deeds should be focused on the “yes” and “no” of God’s teachings.
However, we all know this is easier said than done — and the only reason that it’s hard is because of that old nature mentioned above. It wants to determine its own “yes” and “no” — a ‘my-will-be-done’ sinful flesh attitude. Thanks be to God for His Spirit, which gives us faith and strength to do things according to His will. Even more than that, we also give Him thanks for the forgiveness that He shows toward us when we fail to stay focused on His Word and will. Let us pray: O Lord, since You never fail to help and govern those whom You nurture in Your steadfast fear and love, work in us a perpetual fear and love of Your holy name: through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.