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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Three rhetorical questions form the heart of James’ straightforward approach to challenging the actions of believers in showing partiality to the rich and dishonoring the poor. Today’s message will begin a three part look at these questions and gather practical lessons from each of them.
Here are the three questions: “Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (James 2.5) “Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?” (James 2.6). “Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” (James 2.7). We now begin a commentary on each of them.
The first of the three questions contains three phases to which we now turn our attention. God chose the “poor of this world” to be “rich in faith” and “heirs of the kingdom.” The poor of this world describes the very people to whom Jesus was sent and among whom most of His ministry was spent. This was, even as Jesus applied it, the specific fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Reading from the Messianic prophet (Isaiah 61.1-2), Jesus said, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor…” (Luke 4.18). It was this very trait that Jesus alluded to in order to assure John that He was the Hope of Israel. “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.” (Luke 7.22). The poorer classes among whom Jesus preached were indeed the receptive ones! Paul referenced this fact when he wrote, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1.26-27).
Perhaps it is ironic that James 2.5 is the only verse in all the Bible that uses the word rich and faith in the same passage! There were certainly some rich men who had faith (e.g. Abraham, Job, etc.), but it seems that such was the exception. Rather, the elect of the poor were chosen to be rich in faith. This observation corresponds entirely with Jesus’ first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5.3). From this text it is obvious that of the two types of riches which one might experience, richness in faith is immeasurable more valuable than riches in this world’s goods. The reasons are obvious, but not the least of these is the fact that true riches (Luke 16.11) are eternal in nature as opposed to temporal and temporary.
Heirs of the kingdom is the third and final phrase that we will note in today’s message. The heirs of the kingdom are the heirs of God; they are His adopted children. Blood kin is not relevant; just blood redemption through the Cross of Jesus Christ. Though Paul was a Jew, he did not depend upon his paternal or maternal bloodline to assure him of his future; rather, he trusted only in the Cross of Christ (see Philippians 3.3-8). In fact he counted his Jewish heritage as but rubbish that He might gain Christ. It was an outstanding trade, i.e. the trade of his physical heritage for a spiritual one; it allowed him to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4.7-8). This promise of eternal blessings belongs to all who become heirs of the kingdom through obedience to the gospel!
Questions:
1. What is a rhetorical question? What “force” is it in oral or written arguments?
2. What claim did Jesus make concerning His coming and Isaiah’s prophecy at 61.1-2 (see Luke 4.18)?
3. What value did Paul place in his Jewish heritage before he became a Christian? What value did he place in it after his conversion (see Philippians 3.3-8)? Did he make a good “trade” when he exchanged temporal kinships for a familial relationship with God?
4. What can a man give in exchange for his soul if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?
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