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James 1:9–18 (ESV)
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
In my office, I have a large steel snap trap. I’ve used it as an object lesson whenever I’ve spoken about this passage. My family grew up on farms, and my cousin did a lot of trapping to keep predators and nuisance animals away from the chickens and livestock. One of the problems that they had on the farm was that birds were constantly getting into the feed of the livestock and leaving their droppings everywhere (in the feed, the water, and just about anywhere else you could imagine).
It wasn’t safe to shoot these problematic birds because of the livestock in the pens so my cousin came up with a creative solution. He noticed that the birds were attracted to shiny objects. So, one day he decided to set up a steel snap trap with some aluminum foil placed on the trip mechanism.
It turned out to be very effective, and soon, the birds were no longer a problem (insert your own imagination here!).
In our passage, James is encouraging us to trust the Lord and to avoid a couple of traps of the world: the trap of wealth and the trap of temptation (which can go hand in hand).
These two things are like the shiny aluminum foil drawing us in with wonderful promises, but in the end, snap!
The questions James is asking regarding those two traps are: what will last, and what will truly satisfy? What will bring life and wholeness and satisfy the longing of your soul? Is it wealth and gratifying our desires, or is there something else, something much better?
James’ answer to those questions is very clear. The only thing that lasts and will satisfy the thirst of your soul and bring you new life is God and His word. Verse 11 finds its roots in Isaiah 40:8, where the prophet Isaiah writes, “The grass withers, the flower fades but the word of our God will stand forever.” and James’ point is that it is the word of truth which changes and transforms a person’s life so that they receive the crown of life (vs. 12) and in the process become a kind of firstfruits in the Lord (vs.18).
All of what James is saying echoes what we read about Jesus in John’s Gospel, where Jesus is described as the Word of God (John 1:1-5) and that living under His word sets us free (John 8.31-36).
James then goes on to point out the truth about the trap of temptation. God isn’t the source of our temptations. The source of temptation is our own desires, and left unchecked and unchallenged, these desires can lead to sin and ultimately death.
Living under the Word (Jesus) leads us in the exact opposite direction—life (vs. 12)!
James, for his part, is encouraging us to pursue life in the Lord. The Lord is generous in giving (vs. 5) and that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming from the Lord, the “Father of lights”. As N.T. Wright noted, “Everything that truly lights up the world is a gift from him; but, whereas the sun, the moon and the stars all come and go in their shining, God’s light is constant.”
So, which will you pursue? That which is fleeting and can never truly satisfy? Or life under God’s Word (Jesus), the only One whose goodness is unerringly constant, overflowing in generosity, and the only One who will sustain you under any of life’s storms and temptations as you place your trust in Him?
God bless you, and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott
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